New ANG Command Chief's key aim points to Airmen

by Master Sgt. Marvin R. Preston
Air National Guard Special Staff Public Affairs

3/4/2013 - JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- The new Command Chief of the Air National Guard met with ANG Airmen in the National Capital Region for the first time during an enlisted call at the ANG Readiness Center here Thursday.

Chief Master Sgt. James W. Hotaling, who assumed his role Feb. 4 as the 11th Command Chief of the ANG, took the opportunity to introduce his family and discuss his three key aim points; the profession of arms, the health of the force, and recognizing and renewing commitment to Airmen.

"First, I am going to focus on us renewing our commitment to the profession of arms," said Hotaling. "We have to do professional development, we have to deliberately develop ourselves, we have to go to the right schools, we have to educate ourselves. All of those factors are what we will focus on because we are a profession of arms."

Hotaling said he would dig down into the details of issues such as changes with enlisted performance reports and how having a Community College of the Air Force degree may impact an Airman's future. He said he would frame EPR and CCAF decisions on the profession of arms.

"[My] second focus point is the health of the force," Hotaling said. "If you read any job description of any of the enlisted starting at the supervisory level all the way up to the command chief, we are supposed to take care of people."

Hotaling said taking care of people is the ANG's business and that Airman and family readiness programs will be significant for he and his wife, Marie.

"We are going to look at this together," said Hotaling. "We are going to make sure that we are taking care of Airmen, it is very important."

Other aspects of the health of the force discussed by Hotaling included working with a resiliency mindset during challenging times and sexual assault and prevention to make sure make sure we take care of Airmen holistically.

"The last focus point is to recognize and embrace our achievements," said Hotaling. "Tell our story; what we do is an incredible thing for our nation every single day."
He said it is imperative to show Airmen in the ANG how they fit into the mission.

"It is very important that the lowest ranking Airman understands what his or her responsibility is," said Hotaling, "and why we are the most dominating Air Force in the world."

Hotaling concluded by emphasizing the need to show Airmen sincere thanks for the hard work they do.

"We can't just keep patting people on the back and saying great job, see you again tomorrow," Hotaling said. "We have got to make sure that they are recognized for what [they] do, because we are professionals, and that is a part of what we do."

As the ANG Command Chief, Hotaling represents the highest level of enlisted leadership in the ANG. He is responsible for matters influencing the health, morale and welfare of ANG personnel and their families.

Mattis: Iran ‘Most Significant Threat’ To Regional Stability

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2013 – Iran’s behavior poses the greatest risk to stability in the Middle East, the commander of U.S. Central Command said here today.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis said “Iran remains the single-most significant regional threat to stability and prosperity,” adding that the Iranian government’s “Reckless behavior and bellicose rhetoric characterize a leadership that cannot win the affection of its own people or the respect of any responsible nation in the region.”
Iran’s continued support for the Assad regime in Syria, Mattis said, coupled with its maligned activities in the Middle East raise the risk of Iranian miscalculation sparking a disastrous conflict.
The general cited Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen and Gaza as places where Iran has attempted to derail stability in the region.\

Globally, Mattis listed Sudan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Thailand, India, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Nigeria as other sites for Iran’s clandestine activities.

“Even here in Washington, D.C., [Iran made] an attempt to kill the Saudi ambassador,” he said. Iran remains a threat elsewhere in the world, as well as in the cyber domain, he said.

On Syria, Mattis was asked by a committee member if all options, including a military option are still available to President Barack Obama, and if so, if a plan was fully prepared.

“Those plans are fully developed,” he said.

Mattis also said he would have reservations about arming Syrian rebels battling the Assad regime.
“The situation is so complex that I have to get some degree of confidence that the weapons that we would be arming them with would not be going to people who are enemies,” he said.

“[This] would be the one caveat that I would put on any military advice to go forward along those lines,” Mattis added. “We don’t want, inadvertently, with the best of intentions, to arm people who are basically sworn enemies.”

Mattis noted he has not been tasked with such a mission and hadn’t “looked deeply” into implementing such a plan.

The general was also asked by the committee how long he believed rebels can sustain their resistance to the Assad regime, and if President Assad would be able to maintain control in Syria.
“We’re dealing with a fundamentally unpredictable situation. However, [the rebels are] eroding his power base,” Mattis said. “It is eroding the geographic base he controls daily.

“You see him using ballistic missiles to impact the areas he’s lost control [over],” the general continued. “Notice how the increased use of those missiles over the last month or two has been evident.”

Though Assad is losing ground, Mattis said, it’s difficult to forecast how long his regime can hold out.

Command announces 2012 media contest results

3/5/2013 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Two reservists won more than three individual awards in the 2012 Air Force Reserve Command Media Contest. Their work, along with other qualifying entries, advanced to the Air Force Media Contest in San Antonio, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Brent Skeen, a broadcaster from the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md., was the top command winner. In addition to military broadcaster of the year, he won the television news report, TV feature report, TV sports report, TV newsbreak and video field production categories.

Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr. from the 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Fla., took the military photographer of the year award. He also captured the feature photo, portrait and picture story categories.

Airmen and civilian employees from 27 organizations throughout the command submitted 290 web, print, graphic, photographic and broadcast entries to the contest.

"I commend them for their dedicated service, superior work and continued enthusiasm," said Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, AFRC commander, in a memorandum March 2 announcing the contest results.

Other winners in the command contest are:

First Lt. Zachary Anderson, 931st Air Refueling Group, McConnell AFB, Kan. - commentary, photojournalism and news photograph categories.

Staff Sgt. Mikhail Berlin, 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio - pictorial photo category.

Staff Sgt. Steve Collier, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB, Colo. - human interest feature article and illustrative photo categories.

Senior Airman Kelly Galloway, 439th AW, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. - documentation photo, sports photo and outstanding new photographer categories.

Tech. Sgt. Danielle Johnston, 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo. - military print journalist of the year, news article and personality feature article categories. Her feature represented the command in the Air Force contest's feature article category.

Shawn Jones, 514th Air Mobility Wing, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. - sports article and civilian print journalist of the year categories.

Senior Airman Andrew McLaughlin, 434th ARW, Grissom ARB, Ind. - outstanding new writer and graphic layout & design categories.

Tech. Sgt. Brannen Parrish, 931st ARG, McConnell AFB - news feature article category.

William Pope, 439th AW, Westover ARB - graphic illustration category. Pope's photo portfolio also advanced to the Air Force contest in the civilian photographer of the year category.

Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes, 927th ARW, MacDill AFB, Fla. - series category.

Chaplain (Capt.) Joseph Eggleston outscored other contributors to win the command's stringer writer category. He was with the 439th AW, Westover ARB, at the time he wrote his commentary. He is now assigned to the 459th ARW at JB Andrews.

Shannon McKay and Senior Airman Trevor Saylor of the 934th AW, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station, Minn., had their work advance to the Air Force contest. McKay is representing the command in the graphic animation category, and Saylor is in the outstanding new broadcaster category.

Unit award winners are the 302nd AW, Peterson AFB, in the website category; 315th AW, JB Charleston, S.C., in the video documentary category; and 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla., in the outstanding initiative in new media category. These entries are representing the command in the Air Force contest.

The Freedom Flyer magazine from the 514th AMW, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, was named the command's best publication.

The Heartland Warrior online magazine from the 434th ARW, Grissom ARB, placed second in the publication category. It is representing the command in the web-based publication category in the Air Force contest.

In announcing the contest results, Jackson thanked the print journalists, still photographers, graphic artists, broadcasters and contributing writers for keeping AFRC people and the American public informed about the important missions performed by their units, the Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Air Force. He extended "best wishes for success" to the individuals and units who had their work advance to the Air Force Media Contest.

Results of the Air Force contest are expected to be announced by March 8.

Other runners-up in the AFRC contest by category are:

Website - second-place tie - 439th AW, Westover ARB, and 94th AW, Dobbins ARB, Ga.

News article - second place - Tech. Sgt. Jeff Williams, 934th AW, Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP ARS, and third place - Senior Airman Meredith Thomas, 916th ARW, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.

News feature article - second place - Tech. Sgt. Timm Huffman, 439th AW, Westover ARB, and third place - Master Sgt. Greg Steele, 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.

Human interest feature article - second place - Huffman, 439th AW, Westover ARB, and third place - Staff Sgt. Anna-Marie Wyant, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB.

Personality feature article - second place - Senior Airman Shen-Chia McHone, 445th AW, Wright-Patterson AFB, and third place - Master Sgt. Steve Staedler, 440th AW, Pope Field, N.C.

Commentary - second place - Col. Michael Underkofler, 514th AMW commander, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakerhurst, and third place - Maj. Shannon Mann, 916th ARW, Seymour Johnson AFB.

Sports article - second place - Staedler, 440th AW, Pope Field, and third place tie - Tech. Sgt. Kent Kagarise, 442nd FW, Whiteman AFB, and Staff Sgt. Carl Berry, 434th ARW, Grissom ARB.

Series - second place - Staff Sgt. Valerie Smock, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS, Ohio, and third place - Wyant, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB.

Photojournalism - second place - Lt. Col. Jim Bishop, 439th AW, Westover ARB, and third place - Wyant, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB.

Outstanding initiative in new media - second place - 911th AW, Pittsburgh IAP ARS, Pa., and third place - 442nd FW, Whiteman AFB.

Outstanding new writer - second place - Senior Airman Elizabeth Van Patten, 94th AW, Dobbins ARB, and third place - Staff Sgt. Samantha Wagner, 934th AW, Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP ARS.

Air Force military print journalist of the year - second place - Wyant, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB, and third place - Staedler, 440th AW, Pope Field.

Graphic illustration - second place - Master Sgt. Robert Barko, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS, and third place - Tech. Sgt. Joseph McKee, 914th AW, Niagara Falls IAP ARS, N.Y.

Graphic layout & design - second place - Collier, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB, and third place - Tech. Sgt. Brenda Cosola, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS.

Documentation photo - second place - Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB, and third place - King, 919th SOW, Duke Field.

News photo - second place - Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB, and third place - Ann Skarban, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB.

Feature photo - second place - Steele, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB, and third place - Tech. Sgt. Mark Orders-Woempner, 434th ARW, Grissom ARB.

Sports photo - second-place tie - King, 919th SOW, Duke Field; McLaughlin, 434th ARW, Grissom ARB; and Master Sgt. Wendy Lopedote, 916th ARW, Seymour Johnson AFB.

Portrait/personality photograph - second place - Tech. Sgt. Scotty Sweatt, 916th ARW, Seymour Johnson AFB, and third place - Berlin, 445th AW, Wright-Patterson AFB.

Illustrative photograph - second place - Staff Sgt. Megan Tomkins, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS, and tied for third place - Berlin, 445th AW, Wright-Patterson AFB, and King, 919th SOW, Duke Field.

Pictorial photograph - second place - Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB, and third place - Galloway, 439th AW, Westover ARB.

Picture story - second place - Wyant, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB, and third place - Steele, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB.

Outstanding new photographer - second place - Van Patten, 94th AW, Dobbins ARB.

Air Force military photographer of the year - second place - Steele, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB, and third place - Orders-Woempner, 434th ARW, Grissom ARB.

Command publication - third place - Falcon Flyer, 94th AW, Dobbins ARB.

Stringer writer - second place - Tech. Sgt. Randall Lynch, 307th BW, Barksdale AFB, and third place - Capt. Adam Ebacher, 96th Airlift Squadron, Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP ARS.

Niagara Airman earns local, command scholarships

by Tech. Sgt. Andrew Caya
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

3/5/2013 - NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- A 914th Airlift Wing Airman was recently awarded the Air Force Reserve Command Total Force Top Three Academic Scholarship and the 914th Chief's Group Scholarship.

Senior Airman Travis Packard, a material management technician in the 914th Logistics Readiness Squadron, was selected as the most deserving candidate of the $500 scholarship by the AFRC Total Force Top Three Committee. Prior to this he was awarded $700 from the 914th Chief's Group Scholarship.

"It's impressive that we have Airmen that can communicate their thoughts, plans, as well as ambitions and be able to put that down on paper. Being able to do that makes them very competitive," said 914th AW Command Chief Master Sgt. Scott Scharlau.

"Obviously Airman Packard did phenomenal by winning scholarships at the local level and then went on to win the Top Three Scholarship, so that's fantastic," added the Chief.

Packard said he applied for the Top Three scholarship after seeing an announcement in the 914th Force Support Squadron publication, "The Loop."

"More people should apply for these scholarships," said Packard; mentioning that his winning essay did not take him a very long time to produce. "There is no reason not to apply for them."

Packard said he feels great to have won these scholarships and will use the funds to pay for his books, which he said can be pricey as he is pursuing a biology degree at D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY, with the aspiration to be a physician's assistant.

Virginia ceremony to remember Airmen, Soldiers killed in 2001 plane crash

by Cotton Puryear
Virginia National Guard

3/1/2013 - VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Virginia Beach-based 203rd RED HORSE Squadron plans to hold a brief ceremony to lay an honor wreath March 3, 2013, at 3 p.m. at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach to honor the 18 unit members and three Florida Army National Guard aviators who were killed in a military transport crash 12 years ago.

The Virginia Guard engineers and three Florida aviators from Detachment I, Company H, 171st Aviation Battalion, were killed on March 3, 2001, as the 203rd members were returning home after completing a two-week military construction project at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The C-23 Sherpa they were flying in crashed in a cotton field near Unadilla, Ga.

The C-23 crash was the worst peacetime aviation disaster in the history of the National Guard, and the worst loss of life in the Virginia National Guard since World War II.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the memorial built to the fallen Airmen. The memorial takes the form of a reflection or meditation garden complete with the unit's mascot: a life-size, rearing red horse. The 30,000-square-foot memorial also includes a large bronze Minuteman statue rising up from a clear pool in front of a waterfall, and a second red horse. This horse kneels in front of a memorial made from a 7,000-pound, black granite boulder with the names of the 21 National Guard men etched into its one polished surface.

Encircling the border of the memorial is a winding path embracing 22 Bradford pear trees, and a plaque at the base of each tree honors each one of the Guardsmen. The 22nd tree bears a plaque honoring those who died during the terrorist acts of Sept. 11, which took place four days before the groundbreaking of the 203d's memorial on Sept. 15, 2001.

The memorial incorporates ideas from several 203rd members and used a range of the construction skills found in RED HORSE units. Members of the 203rd, assisted by RED HORSE units from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington, Montana and Texas, built most of the memorial.

RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, and the unit provides a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency operations worldwide.

203rd RED HORSE Airmen lost in the crash:

• Master Sgt. James Beninati of Virginia Beach, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Paul Blancato of Norfolk, Va.
• Tech. Sgt. Ernest Blawas of Virginia Beach, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Bridges of Chesapeake, Va.
• Master Sgt. Eric Bulman of Virginia Beach, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Paul Cramer of Norfolk, Va.
• Tech. Sgt. Michael East of Parksley, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Ronald Elkin of Norfolk, Va.
• Sgt. James Ferguson of Newport News, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Randy Johnson of Emporia, Va.
• Senior Airman Mathew Kidd of Hampton, Va.
• Master Sgt. Michael Lane of Moyock, Va.
• Tech. Sgt. Edwin Richardson of Virginia Beach, Va.
• Tech. Sgt. Dean Shelby of Virginia Beach, Va.
• Staff Sgt. John Sincavage of Chesapeake, Va.
• Staff Sgt. Gregory Skurupey of Gloucester, Va.
• Staff Sgt Richard Summerell of Franklin, Va.
• Maj. Frederick Watkins of Virginia Beach, Va.

Florida Army Guard Soldiers lost in the crash:

• CW4 Johnny W. Duce of Orange Park, Fla.
• CW2 Eric P. Larson of Land-O-Lakes, Fla.
• SSG Robert F. Ward Jr. of Lakeland, Fla.

Hancock Field Airman and son rescue neighbors from burning house

by Senior Airman Duane Morgan
174th Attack Wing

3/3/2013 - Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York -- Tech. Sgt. Brian Matthews, a member of the 174th Attack Wing's Communication Squadron Quality Assurance team, along with his son helped rescue neighbors trapped in a burning building February 13, 2013 in his hometown of Clay, New York.

"It was around 9:30 p.m. and my wife and I were walking our dog when we noticed a beeping sound," said Matthews. "We then realized it was a smoke alarm and noticed smoke coming from the house across the street."  Matthews feared that all nine residents in the house were inside and acted quickly in coming to their aid.

"I immediately turned to my wife and told her to call 911," said Matthews. "I then ran to the house to knock on the door the warn everyone to get out."  While running toward the house Matthews noticed some of the residents were hanging their heads out of the window to keep from inhaling all the smoke coming from the house.  "There was a mother and her two kids on the second floor of the home and I told her they were going to have to jump," said Matthews. "She told me she couldn't jump and that was when I ran across the street to get my ladder."

On his way to getting his ladder Matthews yelled to his 15 year-old son Nicolas to assist him. "By the time I got the ladder Nicolas was already outside. He was barefoot with nothing but shorts on. He grabbed the ladder from me and ran across the street."

"We then put the ladder up to the house and started bringing people down from the window," said Matthews.  The other six residents of the house managed to make it out of the house unharmed.
"There were only three people in the house," said Matthews. "The others went out the back door."

"As soon as we got the last person down from the window flames started to shoot up," said Matthews.

Matthews has known the neighbors he helped rescue for over a year. One of the residents rescued was a member of the swim team with his son.

Matthews believes that his military training played an important part in helping him remain calm during his rescue effort.  "With us being in the military, it's in our nature to be alert at all times," said Matthews. Matthews also believes the training he has received at the 174th made it easier for him to think on his feet.

His son, Nicolas, has also had some experience with saving the lives of others. He once saved a friend who fell through the ice in the pond next to their home.

Nicolas Matthews believes that if he and his dad had not been home, the night would have turned out much different.  "They probably wouldn't have made it out," said Nicolas. "If they did it wouldn't have been safely."

"I'm just glad that everyone is all good and healthy," said Brian Matthews. "I'm glad all nine people were not there."

When asked how he feels about his dad's rescue effort, Nicolas said it made him feel proud.  "I'm really proud of him," said Nicolas Matthews. "He definitely acted fast."

Task force established to close gaps between active, Guard, Reserve

by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Air Force Public Affairs Agency

3/4/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force senior leaders recently constructed a task force to develop the best ways to bring the active, Reserve, and Guard closer together to achieve the most capable force possible.

To meet the challenges of the future, the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force directed the stand-up of the Total Force Task Force, or TF2, to develop strategic options on the appropriate total force capabilities mix to meet current and future Air Force requirements.

"The results of this task force will inform our strategic planning and programming for fiscal 2015 and beyond, and will also serve as a resource to the congressionally-directed national commission on the structure of the Air Force that will be examining total-force issues later this year," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley at the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium & Technology Exposition Feb. 22.

The commission will study the structure of the Air Force to determine whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill current and anticipated mission requirements for the Air Force in a manner consistent with available resources.

The task force is led by senior leaders from the active-duty, Reserve and Guard who will work under Lt. Gen. Mike Moeller, who is the deputy chief of staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in coordination with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve leadership.

The results of their work will inform the Air Force's planning process for fiscal 2015 and beyond. The expectation is for active, Reserve and Guard components to learn from each other, while also looking into the strengths and weaknesses of today's total force efforts.

"The determination of our leadership to break down barriers preventing us from planning and advancing as a total force will drive this effort to success," said Maj. Gen. Joe Balskus, who is the military assistant to the deputy chief of staff for Strategic Plans and Programs. "The team we have assembled from the three components and the extended team members across Headquarters Air Force, the Air Force secretariat, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve is incredibly impressive."

Over the past two decades, the Air Force has become a more integrated force, both operationally and organizationally, across the total force. As a result, senior leaders want to ensure the service is structured in a way that ensures the service can achieve its strategic objectives going forward.

"In view of this increased integration, as well as upcoming strategic shifts driven by post-Afghanistan reconstitution and the new Defense Strategic Guidance, the Air Force needs to undertake a comprehensive review of total force requirements and develop a strategic plan to ensure the Air Force correctly balances the strengths of each of the components to sustain the capabilities required in the years ahead," Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III stated in a memorandum about the task force.

Moeller said he is optimistic about the task force and the synergy it will generate within the planning community.

"Under the chief of staff and secretary's guidance," he said, "we are taking the right steps to bring our Air Force together as one team in order to collaboratively answer one of the most important questions we face as a service, 'what is the most effective balance of capabilities between the active duty, Guard and Reserve?' The task force is designed to be open and transparent, and we will need the help of all stakeholders to ensure success."

Esther Blake: First enlisted woman in the Air Force

3/4/2013 - FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Staff Sgt. Esther McGowin Blake has the distinction of being the "first woman in the Air Force." She enlisted in the first minute of the first hour of the first day regular Air Force duty was authorized for women on July 8, 1948.

Blake originally enlisted in March 1944, in Miami in the Army Air Forces, served one year in the Alaskan division and was discharged in November 1945. She reenlisted in April 1947 and was assigned to the ground force but seized the first opportunity to return to the Army Air Forces. Service in the nation's armed forces was nothing new for Mrs. Blake.

She supported the war by working at the Miami Air Depot as a civilian employee. Blake was a widow. She joined the Women's Army Corps when she found out her eldest son, Lt. Julius Blake, was reported missing. He was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot out of England and had been shot down over Belgium. Her other son, Lt. Tom Blake was serving in B-25 Mitchell medium bombers in Italy -- he was also shot down at a later time.

At the time Blake was quoted in the Miami Herald as saying that her reason for joining the WACs was the hope of helping free a soldier from clerical work to fight, thus speeding the end of the war.

"If I can do this, "she said, "My efforts will be worthwhile."

During the months and years that followed, she saw both her sons return from combat with only minor wounds and heavily decorated.

She was assigned to several bases throughout the United States and in Alaska and the Yukon Territory near the Aleutians. She separated from service briefly and return to her civilian job in Miami in the mid-40s; however, she heeded a recall for women in service and returned to an Army assignment at Fort McPherson near Atlanta.

It was during this assignment that the Air Force became a separate branch of the service and women in the Air Force were authorized. She remained active with the Air Force until 1954 when she separated and went to work with the civil service at the Veterans Regional Headquarters in Montgomery, Ala.

Mrs. Blake, the first woman in the Air Force, died Oct. 17, 1979. In 1987, the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., named one of their student dormitories in her honor.

Active Guard Reserve office moves to Buckley

3/4/2013 - BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Officials will realign and relocate some transactional work from the Air Force Reserve Command to the Air Reserve Personnel Center March 4.

The Active Guard Reserve Management Office from AFRC will realign functionally as part of the ARPC's Directorate of Personnel Assignments, with a streamlined assignments business process.

This action is the first of several upcoming realignments in support of the Program Action Directive 07-11 and Air Force's Three-In-One policy.

This new assignments business process consists of two teams - assignment management and assignment processing. This is different from the currently distributed workload which is divided by Air Force specialty code.

The Assignment Management Branch will own AGR application processing, vacancy management, nominations to the hiring authority and notification of applicant selection and non-selection. They will also take all AGR requests including management directed reassignment, also known as MDRs; voluntary and involuntary curtailments; and AGR review board processes.

The Assignment Processing Branch will process all assignments actions associated with new selections, MDRs, curtailments, ARB separation or date of separation extensions, to include systems updates and orders publishing.

AGR colonel assignment and ARB actions will still remain at AFRC.

Until a new venue is established, the AGR management Communities of Practice, or CoP, will remain the one-stop shop for AGR-related processes. Go to https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/community/views/home.aspx?Filter=RC-DP-00-11 to view all information applicable to AGRs throughout the transition.

Through the transition, there will be an overlap on organization boxes accepting AGR applications. Utilize the AGR advertisement to determine which organization box to send your application.

Call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102 for AGR assignment-specific inquiries.
 

Air National Guard’s first female military training instructor named NCO of the year

by Capt. Peter Shinn
Officer Training School Student Squadron commander

3/4/2013 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The first and only female military training instructor in the Air National Guard is also the first and only Air National Guard member to be named the Air University Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

Technical Sgt. Leslie Cummings is an MTI for the Academy of Military Science, the Air Force Officer Training School commissioning program for Air National Guard members.

"It's awesome, and I really appreciate it, but it's really about just doing your job to the best of your ability and maximizing your contribution to the team," Cummings said of winning the award for 2012. "I'm very fortunate to work with such a great group of professionals."

AMS Commander Lt. Col. Reid Rasmussen described Cummings as a "top-notch professional," and said he was not surprised to learn she won award.

"AMS and OTS are fortunate to have people like Leslie," Rasmussen said. "I'm constantly amazed at not only her job performance but everything she's done for Maxwell, as well."

Cummings' contributions to the Maxwell-Gunter community include founding Airmen Against Drunk Driving, known locally as A2D2, which has virtually eliminated drinking and driving incidents among military personnel here. She also is a founding member of the Guard and Reserve Network, or GARNET, an organization that enhances the skills and civilian employment opportunities of Reserve component members.

The Air National Guard advisor to the commander and president of the Air University praised Cummings as an "outstanding Citizen-Airmen" and a premier example of the total force concept.

"Sergeant Cummings is quite simply one of the Guard's very best leaders," said Col. Edward Vaughan, who is also the founder of GARNET. "Her selection as AU's NCO of the year shows that she's one of the very best leaders across the total force as well."

Cummings, who is currently serving on extended active duty, is a member of the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, located at Channel Islands.

The wing's commander, Col. Paul Hargrove, congratulated Cummings on her achievement.

"Every member of the 146th Airlift Wing and I are proud of Leslie's accomplishments," Hargrove said. "We're looking forward to her return to the unit."

Though Cummings is the first Air National Guard MTI and first Guard member to be selected for the award, she said she doesn't see herself as a pioneer.

"I really don't think of myself as a trailblazer," Cummings said. "I've just been given great opportunities that I've tried to maximize as best I could, because I believe every opportunity you're given is an opportunity to set yourself apart in a positive way."

F-35s cleared to resume flight

by Joel Fortner
Air Force Public Affairs Agency

3/4/2013 - WASHNGTON (AFNS) -- F-35 Lightning IIs were cleared for flight Feb. 28 following a temporary suspension after a cracked engine blade was found in a test aircraft earlier in the month.

A .06-inch crack was discovered in a third-stage turbine blade in a test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 19. Third-stage blades are located deep inside the engine.

A thorough series of tests on the blade concluded prolonged exposure to high-heat levels and other operational stressors on the engine were contributing factors. Edwards AFB is home of the service's major flight test wing, where aircraft undergo rigorous testing.

"As with any new weapons system, we expect to learn things about the aircraft and the system over time and we are doing just that," said Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander at Eglin AFB, Fla., where F-35 pilot and maintenance training began in January.

After the crack was found, all F-35 engines were inspected and no additional cracks or signs of similar engine stress were found.

Despite not being able to fly during the recent suspension, teams at Eglin AFB continued training in a state-of-the-art training center.

"Due to the fidelity of the simulators, approximately 50 percent of the core syllabus flights for the F-35 training program are accomplished virtually," Toth said. "Any additional time in the simulator gives pilots an opportunity to practice more emergency procedures and improve their capabilities."

The training center has electronic classrooms for maintainers, actual-size, mock-up cockpits and weapons bays. On the flightline, maintainers continued to hone their skills on the advanced, stealth fighter.

In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc explained why the F-35, which will be built for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines, and eight allies, is needed.

"Enemy threats are evolving. Their surface-to-air missile technology is evolving," he said. "So that's why fifth-generation technology is such a thing and that's the promise of the F-35."

Gorenc said aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II are far more vulnerable in "contested environments" because they are not stealth aircraft.

The general also explained the advantage of going to war with coalition partners that train with and fly the same aircraft.

"The ability to deal with coalition partners that operate the same equipment, that will probably adopt the same tactics, techniques, procedures, that will be involved in the same logistics concept," Gorenc said, "That's very important because when you have a coalition partner that is operating the same equipment, there are so many things in the joint fight that become much easier to do than you would expect."

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said July 18, the F-35 is critical to a future defense strategy that depends on agility, flexibility and the ability to stay on the cutting edge of technology.

"We're committed to all three (F-35) variants," Panetta said, "because we think each of the forces will be able to use that kind of weaponry for the future so that we can effectively control the skies as we confront the enemies of tomorrow."

Team Fairchild enhances resiliency eight hours at a time

by Senior Airman Mary O'Dell
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

3/4/2013 - FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE-Wash. -- An Air Mobility Command priority-training course is making its way into the lives of Fairchild Airmen.

This eight hour-resiliency class, designed to build self-confidence, personal strength, spiritual growth and an overall appreciation for life, is open to civilian and military personnel on base.

"Building resilience is vital to overcoming the speed bumps and pitfalls life throws your way," said Maj. Eric Cameron, Fairchild's lead master resiliency trainer and bioenvironmental engineering flight commander. "While the impacts of these adversities are handled in different ways, the fundamental principles being taught in this resilience training provide a skill set that will no doubt enhance everyone's resilience."

Topics discussed during the class include the Comprehensive Airman Fitness Model, how to avoid thinking traps, putting issues in perspective, and capitalizing on strengths.

"Modules are taught using personal examples and interactive tools to help hit main points," said Cameron. "Once individuals have a clear understanding of the skills being taught, they are then given the opportunity to reflect inward to identify and share both challenges and positive moments in their life."

Each of the ten master-resiliency trainers here attended a two-week course at Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. There are also resiliency-trainer assistants who can teach up to four hours of the course.

"This is the best Air Force training I have ever been a part of," said Tech. Sgt. Paula Barkhauer, master resilience trainer. "This training is designed to give our men and women the tools for coping with adversity before an event happens."

AMC's senior leadership established a strategic goal of 20 percent of Airmen receiving eight hours training by the end of 2012. Fairchild exceeded that goal and is on track to meet or exceed again to have 80 percent of the base trained by December 2013.

The First Term Airman Center was the starting venue for Fairchild to get the resilience training off the ground about a year ago. It is also now offered the first and third Tuesday of every month at the education center.

Airman revisits recovery with Lt. Dan

by Airman 1st Class Michelle Vickers
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

3/4/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla.-- (AFNS) -- Lt. Dan, as Forrest Gump film actor Gary Sinise is affectionately known, may not actually be a member of the military, but he treats each service member he meets with the deep-seated respect that should be given to a brother-in-arms.

For Hurlburt Field's Tech. Sgt. Christofer Curtis, a CV-22 flight engineer of 8th Special Operations Squadron, Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band's February visit was more than a good time to at a concert. It was a full circle moment in Curtis' journey towards recovery after suffering injuries, including 17 broken bones, in an aircraft crash in Afghanistan during a 2010 deployment.

"We met in the hospital when he had been injured and we ran into each other again when I did another visit three or four months later," Sinise said in describing meeting Curtis at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. "Now he's here [at Hurlburt] and we're really happy he's back."

With a daunting recovery ahead of him and the need to relearn how to walk, Curtis latched onto any support he could receive.

"I was in for the long haul, not just being reconstructed physically but also mentally," Curtis said. "I believe the first time [Sinise] was there I was still waiting to bury my aircraft commander and there were a lot of emotions at the time. I can remember back then I was just a mess, but the thing that really kept [me together] was the support from Air Force Special Operations Command, my family of course, my close friends and folks like Gary Sinise."

While a short visit to the hospital room of a wounded warrior may seem like a minor contribution in comparison to the sacrifice of an Airman injured in combat, for Curtis, the visits reminded him that his sacrifice was honored.

"[Sinise] truly cares for those that defend this nation, and continues to do so," Curtis said. "It's one thing to talk about support but to act and do something continually is the true mark of a patriot. That constant time and presence he volunteers to our service members and their families is amazing."

Though Sinise began his work with veterans years before his role as Lt. Dan, once he portrayed an amputee veteran he began to gain insight into the struggles of wounded warriors.

"Then I started interacting with people like [the character] Lt. Dan and Chris, and getting to know people who have been hurt and are trying to come back," Sinise said. "The spirit of someone like Chris, people who just come back from injuries, they're all over the place. You probably go through those days like Lt. Dan did in the movie where he's really dark for a while and just can't get his mind right. Then things happen that put them all in perspective and get you going."

After coming to the hospital to start the long road to recovery, Curtis found himself experiencing many of the same emotions that Lt. Dan worked through in Forrest Gump.

"Now I didn't lose my legs and get out of the military, but I certainly could have chosen to get out and learning how to walk again was no picnic," Curtis said. "My destiny was to be 6 feet tall and an AFSOC-sharpened weapon or 6 feet under with my fallen crew members. I felt as if I had been stuck in the middle and it took me a long time to finally figure out that there's always something to live for and never give up on a purpose to live."

Bolstering the morale of service members, whether they are deployed overseas or recovering after being wounded in combat, is a key goal of Sinise's Lt. Dan Band. For Sinise, honoring the troops is a natural place to direct his attention and talents.

"I just have a lot of respect for people that decide to do this, to take this course with their life, public service," Sinise said. "What would we do as a country if we had nobody who wanted to raise their hand and join our service? Well, then we'd have to have a mandatory service so we're grateful for those who choose this."

Curtis's recovery experience altered his outlook on such service and on those who serve alongside him. With the needed support and encouragement, wounded warriors such as Curtis are able to return to duty.

"I look at those who served completely different," Curtis said. "It's no longer something that's just a word to me. I always remember that today is probably someone's day one being a wounded veteran and the impact that has on their families and friends can be frightening. I told myself that if there is any chance that I could continue to serve I would do so. As with many other wounded warriors, I had quite a bit of fight left in me. So I used that sense of continued duty and focused it on a new mission at the time, to get better. Now with that objective cleared, it's back to flying."

Curtis is currently working to regain his flight qualification status so he can return to flying special operations missions.

Air Force, Army battle it out on the paintball field

by Airman 1st Class Naomi M. Griego
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

3/1/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- --Members of the 7th Special Forces Group and Team Hurlburt joined together
for an afternoon of free paintball at the paintball field on Hurlburt Field,
Fla., 1 Mar.

"I coordinate these functions because everyone works very hard and it's nice
to take a step back from the high ops tempo and just have fun," said Robert
Scott, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron Landing Zone manager.

Scott, a former member of the United States Army reached out to our brothers
in arms at the 7th SFG and invited them to Hurlburt Field to enjoy an
afternoon of free paintball along with Airmen from Hurlburt Field.

Scott coordinates various events with different organizations on base to encourage
camaraderie among Airmen of all ranks. His goal is simple; he just wants
everyone to enjoy themselves.

"It's pretty cool to be out here, I had fun," said Sgt. Cecily Aguas, 7th
SFG, supply logistics troop. Aguas participated in the paintball-filled
afternoon as one of the only two women amongst close to fifty men.

'To honor our fallen heroes, step by step'

by Senior Airman Joe McFadden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

2/4/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- In the same park that enshrines the memory of the first Air Commandos, sixteen Hurlburt Airmen set foot on a 450-mile march to honor their fallen brothers during a kickoff ceremony at the Hurlburt Airpark Feb. 3.

The second annual Air Commando Ruck March and Climb encompasses a nearly one million-step trek from Hurlburt Field, home of the Air Force Special Operations Command, to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., the home of U.S. Special Operations Command.

In addition, two more Hurlburt Airmen will simultaneously ascent Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, as part of the dual effort to pay tribute to the sacrifice of deceased Airmen.

"We're motivated by the memory of our brothers," said Maj. Tom Leyden, 34th Special Operations Squadron and ruck march participant. "When I think about their sacrifice, how they loved this country, their families and their friends - they truly lived 'service before self.' And when we get down there for the memorial, we'll remember their sacrifice, knowing that our country is a better place because of their service."

Tech. Sgt. Deon McGowan, 1st Special Operations Wing and lead coordinator of the march, said the project originally began in 2011 after 31 American service members, including three Airmen from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, lost their lives in an Aug. 6 Chinook helicopter crash.

Yet after completing the march, McGowan said the losses of Capt. Ryan Hall, 319th Special Operations Squadron, Capt. Ryan Whitlock, 34th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Lt. Justin Wilkens, 34th SOS, and Senior Airman Julian Scholten, 25th Intelligence Squadron, in a Feb. 18, 2012 U-28A crash in Djibouti, Africa, as well as the Feb. 25, 2012 death of Lt. Col. John Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron, in Kabul, Afghanistan, demanded his team commit to a second march.

"This is the reason why we're out here today," McGowan said. "These Air Commandos are dedicating their time, their bodies and their feet to this event to honor those five Air Commandos."

McGowan reaffirmed his fellow ruckers' commitment to respecting the fallen as he described the challenges his team would encounter.

"For the rest of our journey, it's going to be tough," he said. "But we have a motto 'Honoring our fallen heroes, step-by-step.' And when you walk through the gate [at MacDill Air Force Base] and the big memorial comes up, you'll see it's an overhead shot of a spade, the symbol for USSOCOM. And as you enter that and see the black marble with the names on the walls, you can take your hand over the names on the wall of those who have fallen and made the ultimate sacrifice-- I will tell you, it's quite moving. That's what's going to get you through this march."

Among the dozens of well-wishers at the Airpark included Loftis' widow, Holly, who thanked the team for their tribute to her husband's memory.

"It means a lot that they would do this and walk to remember them-- it's very meaningful to us as families," she said. "But my hope is that everyone will remember they gave their lives for our freedoms and not to take that for granted."

Two women, different backgrounds, one goal

by Martha Lockwood
Air Force News Service

3/3/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Two women, from completely opposite economic, social and cultural backgrounds, earned common ground during the early days of World War II to set a path for women in aviation that would steamroll into women's roles today that are without boundaries.

Jacqueline Cochran was born in 1906 in a cotton-fields-and-sawmill small town in western Florida. It is said that she grew up in such poverty, that she never owned a pair of shoes until she was nine. As she grew, she loved the sight of an airplane, and she firmly believed that one day she would fly. In 1932 she earned her pilots license, and she not only flew, she soared. At the time of her death in 1980 she held more international speed, distance and altitude records than any other pilot, male or female.

Nancy Harkness Love was born in 1914, the daughter of a wealthy physician, in Houghton, Mich. By the time she was 16 she earned her pilot's license, and during her college years at Vasser, she earned extra money by taking students for airplane rides. She married Robert Love, and Air Corps Reserve major, and in early 1942, when he was called to active duty in the Munitions Building in Washington as the deputy chief of staff of the Ferrying Command, Nancy piloted her own plane for her daily commute to the Operations Office of the 2nd Ferrying Group, Domestic Division, near Baltimore.

The Domestic Division was commanded by Col. William H. Tunner, and Nancy Love convinced him of the idea of using experienced women pilots to supplement the existing pilot force. Although Col. Tunner's proposal to the Army Air Corps was denied, he appointed her to his staff as Executive of Women Pilots in 1942. Within a few months she had recruited 29 experienced female pilots to join the newly created Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS).

That same year, Jacqueline Cochran was appointed Director of Woman's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) for the United States.

The WFTD and WAFS were merged on August 5, 1943, to create the paramilitary WASP organization at 120 air bases across America. The female pilots of the WASP ended up numbering 1,074, each freeing a male pilot for combat service and duties. They flew over 60 million miles in every type of military aircraft. The WASP was granted veteran status in 1977, and given the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009.

"I might have been born in a hovel but I am determined to travel with the wind and the stars," said Cochran.

Peterson Reserve C-130 wing plans for flying, civilian work hour reductions

by 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

2/28/2013 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  -- Automatic budget cuts triggered by sequestration set to begin March 1 could result in a reduction of up to 18 percent of flying hours and civilian employee furloughs in the 302nd Airlift Wing here. These actions could create significant challenges for the Air Force Reserve Command unit in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta notified Congress Feb. 20 that the Department of Defense is prepared to implement furloughs for civilian employees in response to sequestration. If sequestration occurs, the military services and defense agencies expect to furlough most DOD civilian employees for an average of one day per week for up to 22 weeks starting as early as late April. This equates to about a 20 percent cut in work hours and pay for that time frame.

Roughly 99 percent of the 302nd AW's full-time work force of 195 Air Reserve Technicians and 21 federal civil service employees, including the commander of the C-130 airlift wing could be furloughed, potentially facing a 20 percent reduction in civilian weekday work hours during the furlough time frame.

"The possibility of civilian furloughs and potential reduction in flying hours for our Reserve wing is extremely challenging" said Col. Jay Pittman, 302nd AW commander. "The group commanders and I have discussed possible options. Scheduling of aircraft maintenance, flying hours, ground and flying training and mission support for our Airmen will be scrutinized and adjusted. While we will do everything we can to avoid it, these cuts have a good chance of affecting our readiness and ability to perform our mission at our current level, and that would be new and unsettling territory for us."

Discussing the impact sequestration would have on the wing's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System mission, Lt. Col. Luke Thompson, chief of aerial fire fighting explained, "We are working on contingency plans in the event sequestration becomes a reality. Our deploying aircrews, C-130 aircrew instructors and MAFFS crews will take priority for available flying training hours."

"The MAFFS mission is a priority for our wing and we will do everything we can to ensure the 302nd is ready to support it when called upon by the U.S. Forest Service," Pittman added.

The 302nd AW along with Air Force Reserve wings around the nation are awaiting further guidance from Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command should sequestration and subsequent cuts occur.

"The ARTs and Reserve Airmen of this wing have succeeded in every aspect of our mission when previously faced with challenges to include limited resources, but the possibility of sequestration and civilian furloughs in my opinion, may present one of our greatest challenges to date," said Pittman.

US-Canadian exercise kicks off at Fort Bragg

by Adam Luther
440 AW/PA

2/28/2013 - POPE FIELD, N.C. -- Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Air Force Airmen and the Royal Canadian Air Force are participating in the Joint Operational Access Exercise that began Feb. 25 at Fort Bragg, N.C. 

JOAX is a two-week exercise to prepare Air Force and Army service members to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

Three C-130J's, four C-130H's, and six C-17 Globemasters from the U.S. Air Force and a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130J and a C-177 are involved in the operation.  Thus far 1,459 paratroopers have performed static line jumps for JOAX with follow-up missions when they assemble on the ground. 

This combined exercise enables U.S. and Canadian mobility aircrews to train with paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division on projecting combat power in a hostile environment.

AF traces women's roles to World War II

by Martha Lockwood
Air Force News Service

3/2/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- The Air Force's acceptance of women into the force dates back to long before the first "Women's History Week" celebration in 1978.

In 1942, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) took the unheard-of step of forming and employing two women's aviation units. That same year, a unit of flight nurses who had not yet quite finished their training, were sent into North Africa on Christmas Day following the Allied invasion in November of that year.

And the history of women--civilian and military--was forever changed.

WASPS, WAFS and a Willingness to Serve

Originally, the idea of using women pilots was first suggested in 1930, but was considered "unfeasible," according to information maintained at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Then, in mid-1942, an increased need for World War II combat pilots, favored the use of experienced women pilots to fly aircraft on non-combat missions.

Two women's aviation units--The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS--with a capital S) and the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were formed to ease this need. More than 1,000 women participated in these programs as civilians attached to the USAAC, flying 60 million miles of non-combat military missions.

These two units were merged into a single group, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in August 1943, and broke ground for U.S. Air Force female pilots who would follow in their footsteps decades later.

Of the more than 25,000 women who applied for pilot training under the WASP program, 1,830 were accepted, 1,074 were graduated, and 916 (including 16 former WAFS) remained when the program was disbanded in December 1944. WASP assignments were diverse--as flight training instructors, glider tow pilots, towing targets for air-to-air and anti-aircraft gunnery practice, engineering test flying, ferrying aircraft, and other duties.

Although WASPs had the privileges of officers, they were never formally adopted into the USAAC. In November 1977--33 years after the WASPs program was disbanded--President Carter signed a bill granting World War II veterans' status to former WASPs.

"Winged Angels."

It was a slightly different story for flight nurses who were members of the military from the beginning. As it was with so many advances and innovations resulting from World War II, the USAAC radically changed military medical care, and the development of air evacuation and the training of flight nurses were advanced to meet this need.

After the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the need for flight nurses exceeded the supply, and women who had not yet finished their training were called into action and sent to North Africa on Christmas Day. Finally, in February 1943, the first class of Army Nurse Corps flight nurses graduated.

Unlike their stateside-stationed counterparts in the WASPs, flight nurses (nicknamed "Winged Angels") in the Army Nurse Corps served in combat. They were especially vulnerable to enemy attacks because aircraft used for evacuation could not display their non-combat status.

These same aircraft were also used to transport military supplies. In anticipation and preparation for almost any emergency, flight nurses were required to learn crash procedures, receive survival training, and know the effects of high altitude on a vast array of pathologies.

Of the nearly 1.2 million patients air evacuated throughout the war, only 46 died en route. About 500 USAAC nurses (only 17 died in combat) served as members of 31 medical air evacuation transport squadrons throughout the world.

When President Harry Truman signed The National Security Act of 1947, creating the Department of Defense, the U. S. Air Force became a separate military service. At the time, a number of Women's Army Corps (WACs) members continued serving in the Army but performed Air Force duties.

The following year, some WACs chose to transfer to the Women's Air Force (WAFs--with a lower case s) when it finally became possible to do so.

Originally, the WAFs were limited to 4,000 enlisted women and 300 female officers, all of whom were encouraged to fill a variety of ground duty roles--mostly clerical and medical--but were not to be trained as pilots, even though the USAAC had graduated the first class of female pilots in April 1943, during wartime.

In 1976, when women were accepted into the Air Force on an equal basis with men, the WAF program ended, but not before many milestones were achieved and marked along the way in preparation for today's Air Force woman.

The WAFs in Evolution

The first WAF recruit was Sgt. Esther Blake who enlisted on July 8, 1948, in the first minute of the first day that regular Air Force duty was authorized for women. She had been a WAC, and she transferred in from Fort McPherson, Ga.

The first recruits reported to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 1948. When basic training was desegregated in the Air Force the following year, many African-American women recruits joined, even though the integration of quarters and mess had not yet been achieved.

At first, WAFs wore men's uniforms with neckties. It was "a look" that didn't last long, and winter uniforms for WAFs were modeled after flight attendants' uniforms, using the same material as the men's winter uniforms.

The necktie was abandoned early on, and was replaced with tabs on the collar. The summer uniform--a two-piece dress made of cotton-cord seersucker--didn't fare as well. Ill-fitting, it required frequent ironing. It would be years before a suitable women's uniform would be achieved.

Milestones Along the Way

In its 10-year lifespan, from 1951 to 1961, the 543rd Air Force Band (WAF) was served by 235 women musicians, with approximately 50 members at any one time. This band, the WAF Band as it was known, along with the all-male Air Force Band, served as ambassadors of the Air Force simultaneously.

The WAF band marched in both of President Eisenhower's inaugural parades, and they played for President Kennedy's inauguration, among other concert engagements throughout the nation. The band was deactivated in 1961. Some say that it was a victim of its own success.

It was during this same time period--1956--that a WAF section was introduced into the college-level Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, and by 1959 four universities were running ROTC WAF sections. By 1970, they had achieved a national presence.

Concurrent with the expansion of the ROTC women's cadet program, Congress passed Public Law 90-130 in 1967, lifting grade restrictions and strength limitations on women in the military.

And with the end of Selective Service (the "draft") in 1973, recruiting practices changed. Shortly afterwards--1976--the separate status of WAF was abolished, and women entered pilot training as military personnel for the first time. (The WASPS and WAFS of World War II had come in to service as civilians with pilots' licenses.) Our country's bicentennial year also saw women entering the service academies, which had not been opened to them prior to President Ford's administration.

By 1993, women were receiving fighter pilot training, and Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms (then Maj. Helms), member of the first class of the U. S. Air Force Academy to graduate women, was also the first American military woman in space as part of the Space Shuttle Endeavor team.

Coming, full circle, the final chapter for the WAFS and WASPS of World War II was achieved in 1977, when President Jimmy Carter awarded them full status as veterans, complete with benefits. A fitting epilogue was added in 2010 with the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, there are approximately 300 of the original women air force pilots still living.

By the Numbers

The milestones cited above are just that--the highlights of women in service to their country. Each day, women in the Air Force distinguish themselves and honor those who have gone before them by doing the jobs that matter to us all--performing in professional, administrative, technical and clerical positions.

Women make up 19 percent of all Air Force military personnel and 30.5 percent of all civilian personnel. Of the female officers, 55 percent of the female officers are line officers, and 45 percent are non-line. Of the 328,423 active duty personnel, 62,316 are women, with 712 female pilots, 259 navigators and 183 air battle managers.

Patriot Sands teams Reserve Airmen with federal agencies for contingency exercise

by Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

3/1/2013 - MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- A joint response exercise here brought Air Force and federal agencies together for a national contingency exercise, Feb. 21-23.

Patriot Sands 2013 brought Reserve Airmen and federal government agencies together to learn first-hand what they would experience in the event of a national contingency. By the end of the three-day exercise, the combined team of Airmen and federal employees generated 12 airlift missions, moved nearly 200 passengers and airlifted 1,560 tons of cargo. A contingency response element from the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., led the effort.

"This revalidated the FBI's and FEMA's abilities to respond to contingencies with our people and aircraft," said Lt. Col. Rodney Furr, the operations officer for the exercise.

Shortly after the contingency response operations got under way Feb. 22, C-17 Globemasters from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, shuttled FEMA and FBI assets from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. The reserve's 512th Airlift Control Flight was the lead unit at the base.

FBI and FEMA employees drove trucks and trailers from the C-17 Globemasters and onto a Westover ARB C-5 Galaxy for familiarization training in a simulated emergency response. The C-5 Galaxy, flown in with the Westover ARB contingency response element and more than 70,000 pounds of cargo, was also used for static loading.

More than 30 Patriot Wing Airmen formed a contingency response element team. Six additional Airmen from the Air Force Reserve's 433rd Airlift Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, also took part.

"This is a great training opportunity for the young troops," said Master Sgt. Careyann Patterson, the 58th Aerial Port Squadron air transportation craftsman.

Senior Airman Maryellen Santiago, an air transportation specialist with the 58th APS, joined the unit just eight months ago. She volunteered after learning her unit needed an exercise position filled.

"This was first-hand exposure to what it would be like to be deployed," Santiago said. "I feel good that I'm trusted to operate machinery around aircraft -- each worth millions of dollars. This made me get really focused on the detail of our operations."

Santiago and the team of aerial port Airmen waited near the flightline for each arrival, climbing aboard the aircraft to assist loadmasters in securing the trucks and trailers driven onto the C-17 Globemasters by FEMA and FBI employees. The FEMA and FBI set up a short-term deployment site at MacDill AFB before returning to Homestead ARB.

In addition to processing cargo and passengers, CRE Airmen showed FEMA and FBI teams how to secure vehicles aboard the C-17 Globemasters.

"I showed a woman from the FBI how to tie down a truck," Santiago said. "A while later she said she'd been able to do it herself with another one."

Senior Master Sgt. Desmond Mullally, the ALCF superintendent, said one of the most important objectives of Patriot Sands was to give the junior enlisted a chance to get valuable training.

An example of that training was when Senior Airman Elizabeth Antunez, a ALCF personnel specialist, wielded a pair of marshaling wands -- for the first time. A few hundred feet away, a C-17 Globemaster crew awaited her direction.

"I felt like a tiny person next to that huge airplane," she said. "But in terms of responsibility and control, I felt big."

Chairman Commits to ‘Lead Through’ Budget Crisis

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2013 – In a video message to service members yesterday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committed to leading through the effects of sequestration and encouraged dialogue about its impact.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said the military must continue to protect the nation, preserve defense readiness and ensure troops -- especially those in harm’s way -- are well-trained, well-led and well-equipped.

“We’re going to have to stretch our readiness dollars,” Dempsey said, “and that means part of the force will be advantaged and part will be disadvantaged.”

Still, he said, leaders including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the service chiefs are well aware of the turbulence the fiscal crisis is causing.

“We are committed to leading through that … and we’re going to do it with your help,” Dempsey told service members. “We understand the difficult position we’re going to place you in; we understand the hardships you may have to suffer [and] we understand the uncertainty and the anxiety that that can bring.”
Dempsey acknowledged not knowing how long the fiscal uncertainty will last; noting elected officials may exercise their options over the next few weeks or months.

In the meantime, he said, he’d like to hear what is on the minds of service members.

“Stay in touch … tell us the effect of the decisions we’re making,” Dempsey said. “I admire you a great deal for what you’ve done in the past, for what you’re doing now and what we’re going to ask you to do in the future.”

AF first female fighter pilot continues to break stereotypes

by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

3/1/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- After Col. Jeannie Leavitt finished pilot training at the top of her class in 1992, she was given her first choice of aircraft, with a few restrictions. Her first choice, the F-15 Strike Eagle, wasn't yet an option for female pilots.

"I was told you finished No. 1, but you cannot pick a fighter," Leavitt said. "You cannot pick a bomber. You cannot pick a special ops aircraft. There was a whole list of aircraft I couldn't fly, and I was directed to choose among the other aircraft."

Fortunately for Leavitt and all female Airmen with similar aspirations, the following year then-Defense Department Secretary Les Aspin ordered all service branches to drop restrictions on women flying combat missions. Leavitt became the Air Force's first female fighter pilot and later the service's first woman to graduate from the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Almost two decades later, she's been the nation's first female fighter wing commander since she assumed command of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., in 2012.

While she recognizes her place in Air Force history, Leavitt prefers emphasizing her role as an officer and commander. When she learned she would be flying the F-15 while she was in the middle of T-38 Talon pilot instructor training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Leavitt didn't care about publicity or the chance to make history. She just wanted to fly in fighters.

"When we first discussed it, the individual from headquarters I was talking to mentioned there would be a lot of publicity since I would be the first (woman)," she said. "What I told him was I didn't want the publicity, but I really want to fly fighters. The thing was, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. It was part of who I was and what I wanted to do. The notoriety and publicity wasn't what I wanted, but it came due to the timing."

Not everyone was happy about the defense secretary's decision, and Leavitt had to prove herself to those who questioned her abilities because of her gender.

"A lot of times people were resistant because it was change, and a lot of times people don't like change," she said. "Some people weren't in favor of the change that happened and didn't want women flying fighters. In many cases when I'd show up, once they saw I was competent, and I was a skilled pilot, and I wasn't trying to change their whole world, they became much more accepting of me."

Leavitt flew more than 2,500 hours in the F-15, including 300 combat hours, mostly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Maj. Gen. Lawrence L. Wells, 9th Air Force commander, flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon as an operations officer with Leavitt during Operation Southern Watch in 1996.

He recalls surprise when he first saw her at a mass pre-mission briefing because he didn't know any women were deployed in the area of responsibility at that time. But the surprise soon turned into admiration as he observed Leavitt, especially during a mission supporting a Royal Air Force Tornado GR1 during a threat of an Iraqi Roland surface-to-air missile. He could sense her professionalism and skill as he listened to tapes of her radio calls during the de-briefing after the mission.

"I remember thinking how cool and calm she sounded during the entire time," Wells said. "It was all just a very professional, well-run response to a potential threat, and I remember thinking at that time, 'This female fighter pilot is going to go far in our Air Force.'"

He also described the young F-15 pilot as "a great wingman," a trait he thinks will serve her well as a commander.

"We value in our young officers the ability to be in the right place at the right time," Wells said. "That's what a real wingman does. At the time, she was a great wingman, which in my view, makes her a better leader. Because you really have to know how to follow before you can lead. You have to understand what Airmen are thinking and how your Airmen are dealing with issues and what your young Airmen are focused on. Now having been a great wingman, she can be a great commander."

When Wells introduced Leavitt at her change of command ceremony at Seymour Johnson AFB in June, he chose his words carefully. Despite the historical significance of her career, Leavitt prefers recognition as an Air Force officer and commander. Wells chose remarks that would strike the same tone.

"I had some very specific things I wanted to say about her, and how I had seen her, not only in combat during Southern Watch, but also from kind of following her career," Wells said. "What I did not want to do in my speech was to highlight the fact that she was the first female commander. I was very sensitive to say the Air Force actually picked the right person to be in the right job at the right time, which I think speaks more for her as a professional Air Force officer, who, oh, by the way, just happens to be a female."

Leavitt now commands one of only three Air Force units with the Strike Eagle, along with 5,000 active-duty members and 12,000 civilians. Looking back on the progress women have made in her 20 years in the Air Force, the biggest difference she's seen is women in fighter squadrons are no longer unusual as she was in 1993.

"One thing that's changed is women are no longer a novelty," Leavitt said. "When I started flying fighters in 1993, there were no other women. So there were no female instructor pilots, no flight commanders and no squadron commanders. So it was quite a novelty to have a female in the fighter squadron. The good news is this opportunity opened up, and quite a few women followed in my path."

Women play huge role in World War II aviation efforts

by Martha Lockwood
Air Force News Service

3/2/2013 - FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- The Air Force's acceptance of women into the force dates back to long before the first "Women's History Week" celebration in 1978.

In 1942, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) took the unheard-of step of forming and employing two women's aviation units. That same year, a unit of flight nurses who had not yet quite finished their training, were sent into North Africa on Christmas Day following the Allied invasion in November of that year.

And the history of women--civilian and military--was forever changed.

WASPS, WAFS and a Willingness to Serve

Originally, the idea of using women pilots was first suggested in 1930, but was considered "unfeasible," according to information maintained at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Then, in mid-1942, an increased need for World War II combat pilots, favored the use of experienced women pilots to fly aircraft on non-combat missions.

Two women's aviation units--The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS--with a capital S) and the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were formed to ease this need. More than 1,000 women participated in these programs as civilians attached to the USAAC, flying 60 million miles of non-combat military missions.

These two units were merged into a single group, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in August 1943, and broke ground for U.S. Air Force female pilots who would follow in their footsteps decades later.

Of the more than 25,000 women who applied for pilot training under the WASP program, 1,830 were accepted, 1,074 were graduated, and 916 (including 16 former WAFS) remained when the program was disbanded in December 1944. WASP assignments were diverse--as flight training instructors, glider tow pilots, towing targets for air-to-air and anti-aircraft gunnery practice, engineering test flying, ferrying aircraft, and other duties.

Although WASPs had the privileges of officers, they were never formally adopted into the USAAC. In November 1977--33 years after the WASPs program was disbanded--President Carter signed a bill granting World War II veterans' status to former WASPs.

Winged Angels

It was a slightly different story for flight nurses who were members of the military from the beginning. As it was with so many advances and innovations resulting from World War II, the USAAC radically changed military medical care, and the development of air evacuation and the training of flight nurses were advanced to meet this need.

After the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the need for flight nurses exceeded the supply, and women who had not yet finished their training were called into action and sent to North Africa on Christmas Day. Finally, in February 1943, the first class of Army Nurse Corps flight nurses graduated.

Unlike their stateside-stationed counterparts in the WASPs, flight nurses (nicknamed "Winged Angels") in the Army Nurse Corps served in combat. They were especially vulnerable to enemy attacks because aircraft used for evacuation could not display their non-combat status.

These same aircraft were also used to transport military supplies. In anticipation and preparation for almost any emergency, flight nurses were required to learn crash procedures, receive survival training, and know the effects of high altitude on a vast array of pathologies.

Of the nearly 1.2 million patients air evacuated throughout the war, only 46 died en route. About 500 USAAC nurses (only 17 died in combat) served as members of 31 medical air evacuation transport squadrons throughout the world.

When President Harry Truman signed The National Security Act of 1947, creating the Department of Defense, the U. S. Air Force became a separate military service. At the time, a number of Women's Army Corps (WACs) members continued serving in the Army but performed Air Force duties.

The following year, some WACs chose to transfer to the Women's Air Force (WAFs--with a lower case s) when it finally became possible to do so.

Originally, the WAFs were limited to 4,000 enlisted women and 300 female officers, all of whom were encouraged to fill a variety of ground duty roles--mostly clerical and medical--but were not to be trained as pilots, even though the USAAC had graduated the first class of female pilots in April 1943, during wartime.

In 1976, when women were accepted into the Air Force on an equal basis with men, the WAF program ended, but not before many milestones were achieved and marked along the way in preparation for today's Air Force woman.

The WAFs in Evolution

The first WAF recruit was Sgt. Esther Blake who enlisted on July 8, 1948, in the first minute of the first day that regular Air Force duty was authorized for women. She had been a WAC, and she transferred in from Fort McPherson, Ga.

The first recruits reported to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 1948. When basic training was desegregated in the Air Force the following year, many African-American women recruits joined, even though the integration of quarters and mess had not yet been achieved.

At first, WAFs wore men's uniforms with neckties. It was "a look" that didn't last long, and winter uniforms for WAFs were modeled after flight attendants' uniforms, using the same material as the men's winter uniforms.

The necktie was abandoned early on, and was replaced with tabs on the collar. The summer uniform--a two-piece dress made of cotton-cord seersucker--didn't fare as well. Ill-fitting, it required frequent ironing. It would be years before a suitable women's uniform would be achieved.

Milestones Along the Way

In its 10-year lifespan, from 1951 to 1961, the 543rd Air Force Band (WAF) was served by 235 women musicians, with approximately 50 members at any one time. This band, the WAF Band as it was known, along with the all-male Air Force Band, served as ambassadors of the Air Force simultaneously.

The WAF band marched in both of President Eisenhower's inaugural parades, and they played for President Kennedy's inauguration, among other concert engagements throughout the nation. The band was deactivated in 1961. Some say that it was a victim of its own success.

It was during this same time period--1956--that a WAF section was introduced into the college-level Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, and by 1959 four universities were running ROTC WAF sections. By 1970, they had achieved a national presence.

Concurrent with the expansion of the ROTC women's cadet program, Congress passed Public Law 90-130 in 1967, lifting grade restrictions and strength limitations on women in the military.

And with the end of Selective Service (the "draft") in 1973, recruiting practices changed. Shortly afterwards--1976--the separate status of WAF was abolished, and women entered pilot training as military personnel for the first time. (The WASPS and WAFS of World War II had come in to service as civilians with pilots' licenses.) Our country's bicentennial year also saw women entering the service academies, which had not been opened to them prior to President Ford's administration.

By 1993, women were receiving fighter pilot training, and Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms (then Maj. Helms), member of the first class of the U. S. Air Force Academy to graduate women, was also the first American military woman in space as part of the Space Shuttle Endeavor team.

Coming, full circle, the final chapter for the WAFS and WASPS of World War II was achieved in 1977, when President Jimmy Carter awarded them full status as veterans, complete with benefits. A fitting epilogue was added in 2010 with the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, there are approximately 300 of the original women air force pilots still living.

By the Numbers

The milestones cited above are just that--the highlights of women in service to their country. Each day, women in the Air Force distinguish themselves and honor those who have gone before them by doing the jobs that matter to us all--performing in professional, administrative, technical and clerical positions.

Women make up 19 percent of all Air Force military personnel and 30.5 percent of all civilian personnel. Of the female officers, 55 percent of the female officers are line officers, and 45 percent are non-line. Of the 328,423 active duty personnel, 62,316 are women, with 712 female pilots, 259 navigators and 183 air battle managers.

Women's History Month

Today, Women's History Month awareness for all the armed services is initiated by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.. Among the tools and initiatives for observing this month-long celebration of the role women have played throughout history, the Institute is making available a free download of this year's Women's National History Project poster, "Women's Education--Women's Empowerment."

Empowerment of women has strengthened the services. Starting with the WASPS and WAFS of World War II, through the WAFs of the '50s and '60s, through the acceptance and promotion of women at the service academies, each generation of women and their evolved sense of service to their country, has prepared the future for generations of women seeking unlimited opportunity.

Ellsworth Airman recognized as 400,000th CCAF graduate

by Airman 1st Class Hrair H. Palyan
28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

3/1/2013 - ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D.  -- The Community College of the Air Force presented its 400,000th degree to an Airman from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., during the Air Force Association Central Florida Chapter's gala in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 21.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley presented Senior Airman Emily Barchenger, 37th Bomb Squadron intelligence analyst, her diploma on behalf of the college during the event.

Barchenger, who attended the banquet with her father, a Navy veteran, said meeting the top leaders of the Air Force was a great honor.

"It was an amazing and humbling experience," said Barchenger, who heralds from Salem, Wis. "I enjoyed being there with my dad and meeting our leaders."

Barchenger completed the credits to obtain her Associate of Science in Intelligence Studies and Technology while deployed with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia.

"We just finished our rotation in Southwest Asia," explained Barchenger. "Even though it wasn't my first deployment, it got stressful at times. During this deployment, I completed five classes toward my Bachelor of Science in Registered Nursing. Of course, I was also working nine-hour shifts - making sure aircrew were up-to-date with training, and dealing with events happening on or near our base."

She explained that one of her primary goals since she joined the Air Force October 2007, was to utilize tuition assistance to pay for her college education. She began work on her CCAF degree shortly after enlisting in the Air Force and completed approximately 50 credit hours in two and one half years.

"I think we're lucky that we can further our education at little to no cost," added Barchenger. "I encourage everyone to earn their CCAF. It can be very valuable even if you decide not to stay in the Air Force."

First Lt. Darren Wittkamper, 37th BS intelligence chief, said he has worked alongside Barchenger for more than 19 months. During that time, he's witnessed the hard work she puts in at work, her volunteer work in the community and her commitment to improving herself.

"She is a dedicated person," said Wittkamper. "It's a rewarding feeling to know that we have people like her working in our unit and in the Air Force."

Army to Make Force Structure Changes in Europe

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2013 – Germany-based elements of the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team will relocate within Germany and to Italy this summer, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.

A total of four battalions will be relocated. Two battalions will relocate from Germany to Italy; the brigade’s headquarters battalion and one infantry battalion will relocate to Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, and to the Army’s new facility in Del Din [formerly known as Dal Molin] in Vicenza. The other two battalions will relocate from Schweinfurt and Bamberg, Germany, to Grafenwoehr, Germany.

In addition to the previously announced inactivation of V Corps Headquarters and the 170th and 172nd Infantry Brigades, the disposition of 2,500 enabling forces are provided in the attached DOD news release.

Information on the disposition of other units in the closing U.S. military communities of Bamberg and Schweinfurt will be provided in the near future, as those force structure actions are determined.
These actions are part of DOD’s ongoing restructure of resources worldwide in line with the national defense strategy and in support of combatant commanders, NATO and our European allies.

Air Force Reservist selected for Tops in Blue

920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

3/1/2013 - PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.  -- Air Force Reservist Tech. Sgt. Altrameise Myers, 920th Rescue Wing, information management craftsman, has been selected as a Tops in Blue cast member.

Similar to the realty television show, American Idol, Tops in Blue's sets out to find the most talented vocalists, musicians and dancers in the U.S. Air Force whose primary purpose is to entertain military personnel and their families throughout the world, even those deployed to combat. The group has appeared on national television with such legends as Ed Sullivan, Bob Hope, Alabama, Barbara Mandrell, BOYZ II MEN, Lee Greenwood, and many others.

Myers is one of a few reservists who have ever made the team, which is composed of 35 to 40 active duty men and women who have been selected from a worldwide talent search pool of the most talented Airmen vocalists, musicians, dancers and technicians in the Air Force.

Myers will now travel to San Antonio where she will train with other cast members on all aspects of the show. Members are not only performers but also stage hands, they must set up and breakdown the stages for each show, pack and load the equipment.

Myers will join world-class entertainers and distinguished Air Force Ambassadors during the 2013, 10-month worldwide tour.

Myers audition journey can be read here.