Weapon system sustainment gains highlight results of command’s 5-center construct

By Airman 1st Class Alexander W. Riedel, Air Force News Service

 WASHINGTON (AFNS) --Improved sustainment of service weapon systems tops the list of command accomplishments after a year-long reorganization effort, the Air Force Materiel Command’s top general said here Sept. 16.

Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger addressed her command’s mission of regaining acquisition excellence in a time of fiscal constraint at the Air Force Association’s 2013 Air & Space Conference & Technology Exposition.

“Our mission, as we have embraced it, is to equip the Air Force for world-dominant air power,” Wolfenbarger said. “In essence we are responsible for providing combat capabilities to the warfighter and that is an awesome responsibility the men and women of Air Force Materiel Command execute on a daily basis.”

Representing 83,000 military and civilian service members in her command, Wolfenbarger outlined the progress of an ongoing restructure effort of AFMC’s operations and procedures.

By reducing 12 centers to five, aligned around the primary mission areas of science and technology, life cycle management, developmental test and evaluation, and sustainment, command leaders have improved AFMC processes, Wolfenbarger said.

“(We have) done a lot of work to launch us on a path that leverages a reorganization that is historic in nature,” Wolfenbarger said. “What I’m most excited about in this reorganized Air Force Materiel Command is not how much more efficient we’ve gotten, but how much more effective we’ve become.”

The command’s five centers are the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, both headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; the Air Force Test Center, headquartered at Edwards AFB, Calif.; the Air Force Sustainment Center, headquartered at Tinker AFB, Okla.; and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, headquartered at Kirtland AFB, N.M.

Part of the new organization’s success, Wolfenbarger said, is the implementation of integrated life-cycle management -- reducing “seams” in the organization through standardization and streamlining of processes.

“The real power of the new construct is our ability to work across the centers to ensure that while they have their own distinct mission, we can better succeed by working collaboratively,” she said. “We are looking for standardization and cost-cutting opportunities that take the construct of ILCM to a level we have never seen before in our U.S. Air Force. True ILCM is the enabler for delivering affordable and effective global vigilance, global reach and global power to our nation.”

Despite the importance of the civilian workforce for AFMC, Wolfenbarger said in the wake of sequestration her command was able to maintain support to the most important mission sets.

“We had to slow down some of the great momentum we have had, during the furloughs,” she said. “We are now ramping back up again, but it will take us some time – we’re estimating until the second quarter of fiscal year 2014, to get back to that pace we were on before the furloughs -- but that hinges on not having to embrace additional civilian furloughs in fiscal year 2014.”

During fiscal shortfalls, maintaining existing fleets is an important challenge the Air Force successfully continues to manage, she said.

“We are very good at maintaining legacy aircraft,” the general said. “We, along with our industry partners, can continue to maintain these systems for the length of time our nation demands. But I have to tell you -- they are not necessarily up to the threats that are evolving.”

Despite the hardship, Wolfenbarger said there is excitement within AFMC for the opportunity to standardize approaches, continually improve them, and to enable the workforce to have a role in a different way of accomplishing the workflow.

“There is always an opportunity to get better,” she said. “We’re executing in this new organizational construct for about a year now and are about 10 days from declaring full operational capability. But we are all appreciative of the fact that we are on the forefront of really leveraging this new organizational construct and what it can provide in terms of a more effective way of executing our mission.”

In an address to civilian leaders within the audience, Wolfenbarger asked industry partners to also examine their own approaches of executing military contracts while reducing inefficiencies.

“Maintaining our national defense comes down to a concerted collaborative partnership between government and industry,” Wolfenbarger said. ”Our Air Force partners with industry on identifying and implementing best business practices and on developing technologies and weapons systems across the life-cycle management, testing and sustainment arenas ... Collectively, it is our responsibility to squeeze as much as we can out of every defense dollar that’s allocated to us.”

While the current budgetary environment provides a significant opportunity to reinforce the role of industry and military in this partnership, Wolfenbarger said smaller budgets will require all to bring even more ingenuity, creativity and collaboration to the table.

“We will preserve to the best of our ability the execution of mission sets that are critical and part of our DNA as the U.S. Air Force,” Wolfenbarger said. “We will have to make some tough decisions on our weapons systems and capabilities that go with executing those critical mission sets. But we will get through this downsized budget environment and come out the other end.”

Wichita reporter 'simulates' Airman experience

by Master Sgt. Brannen Parrish
931 Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

9/17/2013 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- A local television reporter gained an opportunity to see one method of the 931st Air Refueling Group's mission preparation during a visit to the KC-135 Operational Flight Trainer and the Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer, Sept. 17.

Mark Davidson, a television reporter from KSN News in Wichita, visited the base and flew the pilot and boom simulator.

"I really appreciate getting this opportunity," Davidson said to the pilots and boom operators who accompanied him to the simulator. "Few people ever get this experience. It was amazing."

Davidson met with Lt. Col. Eric Vitosh, commander, 18th Air Refueling Squadron who explained the training value that flight simulators provide at a reduced cost to tax payers, and how the 931st Air Refueling Group's air refueling mission provides global reach.

Captain Christopher Markley, pilot, 18th ARS and Master Sgt. James Guldjord and Master Sgt. Christopher Norris operated the simulators. The Airman for a Day piece will air on KSN sometime in September.

Combat Air Forces in the 2020s

by Gen. Mike Hostage
Commander of Air Combat Command

9/18/2013 - WASHINGTON -- I'm privileged to serve with more than 140 thousand active duty, civilian, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen who provide dominant combat airpower around the world, ensuring our Nation's security. They are our greatest treasure - extraordinarily innovative and skilled - without question they are the source of our combat capability, providing effective airpower anytime, anywhere, in support of our national security strategy.

As leaders, we have formed with them and their families a sacred trust - to do all that we can to ensure they are resourced, equipped and trained to do what our Nation asks of them.

As we look toward the Combat Air Forces in the 2020s, we must commit ourselves to three things that are foundational to our Airmen's ability to deliver dominant combat airpower when and where our Nation demands it.

First, we must acknowledge the critical role Combat Air Forces, the CAF, will continue to play in advancing our Nation's interests. The impacts of the current fiscal calamity on CAF modernization will not obviate the expectation that we, when called upon, must deliver dominant combat forces to the Combatant Commander.

Second, the CAF needs to be restructured following more than a decade of shaping to support the counterinsurgency wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. It is my view that the Air Force's Global Power mission, conducted principally by the CAF, is challenged today by more risk than either Global Reach or Global Vigilance.

Third, ACC's ability to provide relevant combat forces to the Combatant Commander will, in the coming decades, hinge on recapitalizing to a robust fifth generation fleet. Our aging CAF legacy fighters, despite constant capability improvements, will eventually cease to be a relevant combat force.

Before I address each of those three in more detail, I want to go back to our Airmen...as the Chief of Staff highlighted earlier today, they are the ultimate source of our combat capability. The women and men of Air Combat Command possess the knowledge, creativity, and drive to overcome highly complex and dynamic challenges whenever and wherever the Nation asks. They are informed by a rich history, beneficiaries of a unique air-mindedness, highly adaptive to new concepts, and eagerly receptive to the possibilities inherent in science, technology, and human ingenuity. CAF Airmen can synthesize seemingly disparate elements in creative ways, providing innovative solutions for the Combatant Commander. They are the most sophisticated and precious resource we possess.

Our imperative in ACC is to maintain an environment of mutual respect and trust for our Airmen- that imperative is critical to providing effective combat forces and foundational to the Command's mission.

In addition, we also owe our Airmen the proper equipment, training, and skills required to conduct the missions our Nation calls upon them to do. Sadly, sequestration continues to impact our Airmen - uniformed and civilian - stymieing the Command's ability to adequately train and equip them. Sequestration impacts morale, erodes combat readiness, and ultimately limits options for Combatant Commanders.

If sequestration persists, our Airmen will be held back in training to conduct the very missions they joined the AF to perform, potentially creating an element of disillusionment within our Force--again the most precious resource we have. Our
imperative, however will remain, to provide mission-ready forces to Combatant Commanders, accepting that some of our units may not be immediately available, requiring some amount of time to get fully trained for combat. To send them forward anything less than fully combat ready would be morally corrupt. Put simply, to deal with the sequester, our training focus will be placed on those Airmen filling our most critical mission sets, regrettably leaving many others only partially prepared.

It is our moral imperative to ensure forces that deploy are fully ready, not partially ready. Sending Airmen into combat without the training they need, without the equipment, parts and capabilities they need to be fully effective is unconscionable - our Nation and our Airmen deserve better than that.

Make no mistake; the role of the CAF over the coming decades will be critical, likely more critical than ever before. We must always be ready to provide dominant combat airpower for America, despite our current fiscal constraints. In my judgment, the US national debt, and its associated budget repercussions, remain the most significant threat to our national security. More than two decades of sustained global engagement and combat operations have imposed tremendous stress on our service members and equipment. At the same time, the economic means we rely upon to underwrite our global security posture are becoming increasingly constrained and it seems will remain so for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the context in which past decisions were made has changed, and we are now being forced to make decisions impacting long-term force structure based upon short-term fiscal constraints.

ACC's ability to provide dominant combat airpower underpins our Nation's ability to pursue and protect its vital interests, and without it, all other military options and instruments of power become less credible. The CAF's global power capabilities are critical to holding targets at risk anywhere on the planet and ensuring freedom of action for Joint and Coalition forces in contested environments. Specifically, dominant air superiority has been enjoyed by the US and its Allies since the middle of the last century. It has come to be expected that our forces don't worry when they hear the sound of jet noise overhead...they know it is ours. That luxury does not come for free and will not persist unless we, the United States Air Force, continue to make it so.

The nation can no longer afford to take such capabilities for granted as has been done for the past two decades. Our Nation expects the CAF to prevent, deter, and defend against aggression aimed at America and its allies, and when called upon, to help secure victory regardless of the type of conflict. This expectation will continue to expand as our Nation transitions out of Afghanistan and rebalances its focus to the Pacific.
Despite the clear need for dominant airpower, the current and potentially the future fiscal environments are forcing the CAF to become smaller, further exacerbating our ability to provide operationally effective combat power. Force structure decisions being made today will impact tremendously the CAF's future relevancy, measured explicitly by its ability to influence the decision-making calculus of potential adversaries. By consequence, if our future force must be smaller, then it must be vastly more capable.
The next generation of Airmen must have the next generation of combat equipment to defend our Nation and advance its interests.

Although we can't predict with certainty the time, location, or circumstance in which US policy-makers will call for the use of military power, we must be prepared to respond across the spectrum of conflict, meeting the full range of security challenges. Today, the Air Force is globally engaged...with the world-wide demand for ACC's distinctive capabilities remaining very high, despite the withdrawal from Iraq and pending withdrawal from Afghanistan. Every indication I see tells me that the high operations tempo of the past two decades will remain the norm as we move into the post-OEF world.

The constant demand for our distinct capabilities includes our low supply/high demand combat rescue assets. The mantra of our rescue forces, "So that others may live", is well known and respected around the world. Air Force Rescue has been operating with deploy-to-dwell ratios that are at or near unsustainable levels for an extended period of time. While the Airmen within these career fields have performed their missions magnificently, remaining at these operational tempos has caused our fleets to age at accelerated rates, posing significant challenges to the long term viability of our critical rescue fleet. Again one of the things that makes our Air Force special is the sure knowledge that we will not leave an Airman behind. It is part of what makes us great and what allows our forces to venture into the unknowns of combat. Therefore, we have another moral imperative to retain sufficient numbers of well-equipped combat rescue forces in the future, despite any fiscal challenges.

From potential high-end major combat operations against near-peer adversaries to low-end low-intensity engagements, ACC must be ready to leverage the unique characteristics of airpower - speed, range, precision, flexibility, persistence, and lethality. These characteristics offer unparalleled combat effects, able to be appropriately scaled and tailored to meet the needs of Combatant Commanders around the world.

In March 2011, ACC demonstrated its ability to flex across the full range of military operations. During that month, B-1s, with the help of the Air Force Targeting Center, demonstrated the reach of Global Power by successfully attacking targets in Libya from Ellsworth AFB, SD in support of NATO Operations, while remaining committed to COIN operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our Airmen have performed magnificently over the past decade, but now we must look to the future and prepare our Airmen to face new and different challenges.

Before marching bravely into our future, it is wise to be mindful of our past, noting, in particular, how the CAF evolved in the face of several challenges over the past 60 years. During the final phases of WWII, US Army Air Forces dominated the skies against the German Luftwaffe and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. Superior aircraft like the P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-29 Superfortress delivered air superiority and a crushing bombing campaign in support of Allied Forces. Yet as the War ended, the newly formed Air Force, challenged by a new, formidable Cold War adversary, transitioned away from prop-driven aircraft and began to restructure for the jet era. The timing of this transition proved crucial during the Korean War as the Air Force required a jet able to match the higher- and faster-flying, Russian MiG-15. The F-86 Sabre, and our superiorly trained pilots, proved to be an effective counter to the MiG-15, amassing a kill-to-loss ratio of nearly 2 to 1.

Then, again following many arduous lessons from the Vietnam War, Tactical Air Command wrestled with the grueling task of restructuring its combat forces for the future. While we aggressively engaged and shaped the continued acquisition and modernization of third generation fighters, to include that period's F-4s, F-105s, and F-111s, we determined the weapons and performance characteristics associated with these platforms would not assure us the degree of dominance our Nation would demand in future decades. As a result, we conceived the next generation of fighters, the fourth generation - the F-15, F-16, and A-10.

Many of the decisions to pursue these aircraft were made in the waning light of a costly war in Vietnam and during equally challenging fiscal times at home. Despite these challenges, we prioritized the future of tactical dominance; most importantly, the future of air superiority. The results have been overwhelming - the US and its Allies amassing a 104 to 0 kill-to-loss ratio for the F-15C, our preeminent air-to-air fighter over the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It is this degree of dominance that has allowed us to maintain air superiority above friendly forces for 60 years. While it is satisfying to trumpet this accomplishment, it is more important to recognize that past accomplishments provide no future guarantees.

Our fourth generation fleet, built to defeat an imposing Soviet force, displayed its utter dominance during Operation Desert Storm, providing decisive air power against Iraqi air and ground forces. This performance validated the hard decisions made in the 60s and 70s by displaying to the world the potential speed and lethality of synchronized combat air power. While truly an historic episode in air power history, there are those who question the need to retool the CAF, citing the success of Desert Storm. I would remind us all that Desert Storm occurred 22 years ago--a lifetime in the realm of weapon system innovation and advancements. The formula for strategic irrelevance begins with expecting future security while basking in past success.

Today we are at a crossroad, similar to that faced by our leaders more than 50 years ago. Our fourth-generation aircraft have far surpassed their original design service lives and now face underfunded or cancelled modernization efforts. In the next 5 years, our pilots flying fourth-generation aircraft will be faced with the daunting challenge of countering very advanced enemy systems with fighters and bombers that will not have kept pace with the rapidly evolving operational threat environment.

Over the past decade we intentionally modified our CAF aircraft to meet the demands of the protracted counterinsurgency fights in Iraq and Afghanistan. The need for persistent ISR and responsive close air support proved to be essential elements of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. The constant overwatch and tactical support provided by CAF air power to our brave troops on the ground have galvanized their trust and strengthened our joint effectiveness. A decade from now, the CAF's ability to maintain this trust will require additional modernization for the F-22 and recapitalization of our legacy aircraft with a full fleet of F-35s.

After more than a decade of focused CAS and ISR overwatch in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is time we allay the high-end mission risk being assumed by the CAF. The Nation's ability to project Global Power is predicated by the relevancy of its combat air power. A relevant CAF, ready to operate in highly contested environments, must have an adequate number of technologically advanced aircraft and operators trained to execute these high-end missions.

Today, we again stand at a critical juncture. Our 5th generation fleet, particularly a full fleet of F-35s, will provide the precise retooling required by the CAF. By 2023, a modernized force of F-22s operating in concert with a robust fleet of F-35s will mitigate the risk currently imposed on the CAF, ensure the trust built with our joint partners, and, more importantly, afford our nation the ability to project relevant combat air power. Our need to restructure does not eschew the significance of our contributions in the mission areas of ISR and CAS developed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rather, it acknowledges the historical parallels between where we are today, with the periods following World War II and Vietnam. Now, as then, it is time for us to restructure...to prioritize programs that allow the CAF to execute full-spectrum operations in highly contested environments. Our Nation's security demands the CAF maintain these higher-end capabilities and skill sets.

The total air dominance we've enjoyed over the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan existed in part because of an unchallenged net-enabled battlespace. We cannot assume this in the future. In fact, our potential adversaries have invested significant capital and innovation towards countering our air dominance. In the coming decade, both new hardware and training will be required to counter symmetric and asymmetric threats to our forces. To ensure continued air dominance, ACC has embarked upon a readiness project designed to ensure our Airmen can operate in an advanced threat environment where all elements of the domain are contested.

Readiness Project-2 is a program under which we are changing the paradigm of how our force trains. The certainty of our communication links, our pervasive datalinks, our far-seeing radars, and incredibly accurate GPS systems have bred generations of aviators who know little of the old-school TTPs of chattermark, no-radar procedures, and counter-radar jamming. As we exercised our incredible capabilities since the onset of Desert Storm, our adversaries have taken careful note and have been investing in asymmetric ways to deny us these systems. The training plan called Readiness Program-2 ensures that our Airmen practice routinely, how to deal with the momentary or prolonged interruption of any or all of these unique capabilities. Our adversaries should know that such asymmetric attacks will not stop us; they will only make us mad. We will not be stopped, and will continue to bring lethal combat power.

When I served as the CFACC at Air Forces Central Command, I saw firsthand the extraordinary impact of our ISR and mobility Airmen. I flew with MC-12 crews and supported our ground partners with vital real-time intelligence; I also flew with C-130 and C-17 crews who airdropped food, fuel and ammunition resupplies with exceptional precision to forward operating bases in Afghanistan. Those Airmen, their skills and their unique capabilities are unmatched. However, we can't afford to be lulled into a sense of complacency in which we believe those great Airmen will have the same freedom of movement in the contested environments we anticipate in the future - that would be irresponsible.

As we move toward 2020 and beyond, we anticipate our potential adversaries' capabilities to continue to grow and concentrate on achieving an asymmetric advantage- which is why we need to focus the CAF on those higher-end skill sets to win in contested environments. We've grown accustomed to freedom of movement of our ISR and mobility assets. In tomorrow's contested environments, we simply won't have that luxury - those capabilities will require robust air superiority support or they face being neutralized in the earliest stages of a war.

Our 4th generation fighters, as well, do NOT have the ability to operate without significant risk in an advanced threat environment. For the United States to operate in environments that are becoming increasingly contested by our adversaries around the globe, in line with the DoD strategic guidance, the Air Force must continue to invest in capabilities critical to our future success, like the F-22 and F-35 - capabilities that will enable other members of our team, like our ISR and mobility Airmen, to project power despite the contested environment. Fiscal constraints will require the CAF to balance force structure with new capabilities and game-changing technologies to ensure lethality and survivability.

When I first took command of ACC, it was my goal to balance modernization and recapitalization in order to ensure the CAF was prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. This balance required me to look at recapitalizing our fleet through the development and purchase of new weapon systems. At the same time, I had to continue modernizing our legacy fleets through upgrades designed to extend service life and enhance combat capabilities. Our current fiscal environment will likely force me to make the hard decision between recapitalization and modernization. If the Department says it can no longer support both, I must pick one or the other...and to me, recapitalization is what makes the most sense. I realize that means accepting risk in the near term, but the alternative is arriving in the middle of the next decade with a now 45-year old fighter fleet and most likely no remaining domestic fighter production.

Our potential adversaries' increasing capabilities will require us to have fifth generation capabilities to enter the battlespace. A modernized fourth generation fleet by itself will be irrelevant against those capabilities. Potential near peer adversaries are using modern technologies to build advanced aircraft, surface-to-air, and air-to-air missiles--all with increased range and enhanced capabilities. As Gen Welsh noted back in mid-July...it's not just our peer or near peer adversaries who will use these capabilities....over 50 countries around the world fly Chinese or Russian top-end fighters. These developments will degrade our ability to operate most 4th generation CAF assets, so we must rebalance investments to equip our Combat Air Forces to meet the developing threat.

Back in July the Chief said, "The F-35 Lightning II JSF is imperative to the future of the Air Force. Upgrading the existing fleet may save money, but will not make it competitive." He went on to say, "A 4th generation aircraft meeting a 5th generation aircraft in combat will be more cost-efficient, [but] it will be dead before it ever knows it's in a fight." Let me say that again - it will be more cost-efficient, but it will be dead.

5th Generation fighters possess distinct capabilities not found on our current combat platforms. These 5th Generation capabilities dramatically reduce an enemy's ability to successfully engage our force. The F-22 and F-35 must and will underpin the CAF for decades to come. Our 4th generation capabilities have served us well, now it's time for the 5th generation assets to take the CAF reins.

The F-22's attributes of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and integrated avionics ensure our ability to project power anywhere on the globe; including in anti-access and area denial environments. Simply put, the F-22 fleet, combined with complimentary capabilities from our joint partners, allows us to "kick down the door" and enable joint operations in the most demanding environments that exist now and in the foreseeable future. The F-22's multi-mission capabilities allow us to seize the initiative, achieve air superiority, attack those who challenge us in the skies and to defeat those who would challenge us from the ground. Despite its pitifully small numbers, the F-22 contributes significantly by protecting the joint force from attack and enabling the joint force to conduct offensive operations.

We remain committed to the continued advancement of F-22 combat capabilities and the long-term success of the F-35 program. Our national defense priorities emphasize Asia/Pacific and the Middle East, while also maintaining our commitments in Europe and with allies and partners around the world. We must continue to deter and defeat aggression of peer and near-peer adversaries in highly-contested environments while continuing to acquire F-35s in sufficient quantities to enable a robust 5th generation fighter force. The programmed purchase of 1,763 F-35s is not a luxury; it is a national security imperative. As Clausewitz once said, "In tactics, as in strategy, superiority of numbers is the most common element in victory."

Fiscal constraints are driving the CAF to a smaller force, but it must be a more capable force with the ability to operate in, and eventually control, denied and degraded environments. This will only happen if we recapitalize our fighter fleet to the full complement of Lightning IIs. This will not be an easy task...we will likely be forced to choose between modernization or recapitalization... unfortunately we are being told we can't afford to do both.

In Air Combat Command we recognize that the fiscal and threat environments are constantly evolving. We also recognize our Airmen are our asymmetric advantage. By understanding the enduring role of the CAF, the historic need for our restructuring, and the imperative to grow our 5th Generation fleet, we'll enable our Airmen to deliver the Dominant Combat Airpower America expects.


** Editor's Note: The text of the speech was prepared for delivery to the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference on Sept. 17, 2013.

320th STS completes DARC training

by Tech.Sgt. Kristine Dreyer
353rd Special Operations Group Public Affairs

9/9/2013 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Members from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron completed Direct Action Resource Center training with a mobile training team on the Camp Hansen range Aug. 3-17.

The two-week training included M-4 and Glock-19 proficiency training on the range and also close-quarter combat where the group was divided into two teams and taught how to properly clear a building.

Typically, this would mean another trip back to the U.S. to complete the training, but due to budget constraints, the 320th STS decided to save money and bring the training to them.

"Instead of sending 15 people to the states, we paid for two instructors to come here," said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Brown, a pararescue specialist with the 320th STS. "The instructors have been great with adapting to what we had here and fulfilling all of our training needs. It's important for everyone to complete this training so we can be more proficient in shooting, moving and communicating."

Although they learned to work together in teams during the training, their ultimate goal is to be able to learn techniques that will help them adapt to any deployed environment.

According to Senior Airman Keaton Thiem, a combat controller at the 320th STS, the Airmen won't typically deploy as a team, but instead they will deploy individually and attach to other special operations teams from various branches of services, which can be somewhat of a challenge.

"Anytime we attach to a team, they have been together for a long time. We still have to be able to step in and start day one like we have been part of this team," Thiem said. "This training helps tie us all together and plays a huge role in allowing us to integrate properly."

Once the fundamentals were taught, the class ended with a two-day culminating exercise where the pararescuemen, combat controllers and a survival, evasion, resistance, escape specialist put their new skills to the test.

"The TTP (tactics, techniques and procedures) of the enemy is constantly changing," Thiem said. "These guys stay up on that. Having this training will definitely prepare us for future deployments."

Carter to Lead Panels on Base Security, Personnel Clearance

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – “Obviously, something went wrong” in security procedures at the Washington Navy Yard, where a gunman killed 12 workers Sept. 16, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today, and the department will close gaps, address inadequacies and correct failures.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters during a news conference at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, 2013. DOD photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In a Pentagon news conference, Hagel announced two panels that will investigate the situation and make recommendations.

Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed their condolences to the families and co-workers of the 12 Navy employees gunned down at the Navy Yard. Both emphasized that DOD personnel deserve a safe and secure environment wherever they work.

Yesterday, Hagel said, he asked Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter to lead two departmentwide reviews. The first will examine physical security and access procedures at all DOD installations, the secretary said.

In the second, Carter will look at DOD’s practices and procedures for granting and renewing security clearances, including those held by contractors. He will coordinate with officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of Management and Budget, Hagel said.

The secretary also has directed an independent panel to conduct its own assessment of security at DOD facilities and of the department’s security clearance procedures and practices.

Dempsey praised the actions of the police and medical personnel who responded to the rampage.

“Even in the midst of tragedy, there are moments of triumph,” he said. “The most visible feats were accomplished by professionals -- our military, police, and EMTs -- but there were other unseen moments equally heroic. I was especially inspired by the story of Omar Grant, a Navy Yard civilian, who helped a blind colleague to safety as they exited building 197 in the middle of the shooting. Omar refused to leave his friend behind. The urge to run toward danger to help someone in need is a testament to an American's character.”

Dempsey said some of the lessons learned from past tragic episodes helped during the Navy Yard shooting. Early indications are that procedures put in place after a Nov. 9, 2009, shooting spree that killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, may have led to “a less horrific outcome,” the chairman said. Officials put in place alert notices. Base officials also coordinated with local and federal officials in advance of crises, he said. There was also some benefit from training scenarios for employees and law enforcement on active shooter situations, he added.

“Some of the things we did as a result of those earlier incidents, we believe, actually reaped the benefit we intended,” Dempsey said

Success of India, Pakistan Critical to Region, Carter Says

By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Sept. 18, 2013 – Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter today wrapped up a weeklong overseas trip that included stops in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Anil Sabharwal, a member of India's air force, gives U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter a walking tour of a new runway under construction at Hindon Air Force Station near New Delhi, Sept. 18, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

After spending three days in Afghanistan, Carter stopped in Islamabad, Pakistan, for talks with senior defense and government officials. Among the topics discussed was the importance of Pakistan’s continued economic development to the security of the region, Carter said today.

The economic development of Pakistan is essential, he said.
“Their neighbor to the east is running away from them economically,” Carter noted. To develop its economy, Pakistan first needs peaceful relations with India to begin trading with them, the deputy defense secretary said.

Pakistan is critical to U.S. and regional security, the deputy secretary said.

“Unless it’s part of the solution, it becomes part of the problem in Afghanistan,” Carter said.

“The government of Pakistan has flirted over time with using terrorism as an instrument of state policy,” Carter added. “It is coming to the realization that terrorism is a boomerang, and it comes back on you when you try to use it for your own purposes.”

The principal threat to Pakistan is terrorism, he said, not its neighbors.

Carter spent yesterday meeting with senior Indian defense officials in New Delhi, including Defense Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur and Defense Minister A.K. Antony. He also met with U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Pelletier at the American Embassy.

The U.S. and India are destined to be security partners on the world stage, Carter said. The two countries share common interests, values and outlooks, he added, noting that the multifaceted defense relationship between them is the defining partnership of the 21st century.

A central topic of discussion was the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative, which is intended to increase defense industrial and technology cooperation, Carter said. The agreement isn’t just about selling defense equipment to India, the deputy defense secretary noted; it’s about fostering joint ventures.

“They don’t want to just buy our stuff,” Carter said. “They want to build our stuff with us and they want to develop new things with us, and they want to do research with us.”

The joint C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft venture between the Indian multinational conglomerate Tata and Lockheed Martin is a perfect model of co-production, he said.

“India is now part of the supply chain [for the aircraft], and has the economic benefit -- the jobs benefit -- of being part of that,” Carter said.

Future defense projects between the two countries will include both co-development and co-production, the deputy defense secretary said.

Today, Carter traveled to Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad, India, the largest air base in Asia and home to No. 77 Squadron, which operates the six C-130J aircraft India acquired in 2008. The aircraft have been used in several humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations throughout the country. In August, a pilot from the squadron set a world record for the highest-altitude landing and takeoff, landing at an airstrip 16,614 feet above sea level.

Hindon also is home to the recently formed No. 81 Squadron. Known as the Skylords, the squadron was formed in September to fly the Indian air force’s new C-17 Globemaster III transport jets, which began arriving earlier this year. Three of the heavy-lift aircraft have been delivered so far under the $4 billion deal, and seven more are scheduled to arrive by November 2014.

“We want India to have all the capabilities it needs to meet its security needs, and we want to be a key partner in that effort,” Carter said.

“When you look at pictures of the Indian air force’s C-130s participating in the recent flood relief efforts in the north, … that tells us we’re on the right track,” he added.

U.S. Foreign Military Sales Promote Security Cooperation

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – Though 2012 was a banner fiscal year with $69.1 billion in foreign military sales, that program and others like it are not in the business of selling equipment, but rather are promoting military-to-military relationships with international partners, a Defense Security Cooperation Agency official said here yesterday.

Speaking at a ground robotics symposium hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association, Derek Gilman, DSCA’s general counsel, said his agency promotes relationships by facilitating the purchase of defense equipment and services, financing, defense education and training and more.

“The idea,” Gilman said, “is if partners have U.S. equipment and U.S. training and are following U.S. doctrine, our interoperability is greater with them.”

Interoperability also can be leveraged through international acquisition and cross-servicing agreements for sharing such things as ammunition and spare parts, he added.

“That can lead, if you’re sharing joint doctrine, to joint exercises and other types of military-to-military cooperation and … to decades-long relationships -- core relationships -- with partners around the world,” Gilman said.

The Foreign Military Sales program is a form of security assistance authorized by the Arms Export Control Act through which the United States may sell defense articles and services to foreign countries and international organizations. Under the program, the U.S. government and a foreign government enter into a sales agreement called a letter of offer and acceptance. The State Department determines which countries will have programs, and the Defense Department executes the program.

DSCA is the central agency that synchronizes global security cooperation programs, funding and efforts across the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the State Department, the combatant commands, the services and U.S. industry. The agency is responsible for the policy, processes, training and financial management needed to execute security cooperation within DOD.

The agency’s mission areas cover a lot of ground, ranging from foreign military sales and foreign military financing to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and mine action. DSCA also has programs for international military education and training and partnership capacity building.

DSCA has 12,881 active foreign military sales cases valued at $394 billion, 443 humanitarian projects worldwide, 768 security cooperation officers in 148 countries, 7,344 international students from 141 countries, and 7,090 participants in five regional centers around the world. DSCA does business with 227 countries and international organizations.

Foreign military sales represent the largest percentage of DSCA funds, with $69.1 billion in fiscal 2012, Gilman said, “but $29 billion of that is from the sale of 84 F-15s to Saudi Arabia, along with weapons and training and basing.” He said that going forward, the agency expects about $30 billion a year, with about $25 billion in 2013 sales.

“But that’s a significant increase over what we’ve had historically,” he added.

Before fiscal 2006, DSCA foreign military sales hovered between $10 billion and $13 billion, Gilman said, adding that the agency has been doing more than twice that amount each year and expects that trend to continue because of an increased emphasis on foreign sales, interoperability and fighting in a coalition environment.

Other DSCA programs include:
-- Foreign Military Financing, $1.1 billion in fiscal 2012-2013: The bulk of this funding goes to Israel and Egypt, with the rest divided among several other countries. Funding amounts go out in grant letters so it is considered a conditional grant to the foreign country. “The money, however, does not go to the foreign country,” Gilman said. “It stays in the FMF trust fund in the account for those countries and becomes new-year money. It’s obligated upon apportionment, so it continues to be available for the purposes set forth in the current-year congressional budget justification.”
-- International Military Education and Training program, $105.8 million in fiscal 2012: “IMET is a significant program whereby we provide education and training to folks from foreign militaries,” Gilman said. “It has been a significant aid to the United States over the last 30 years in terms of helping build relationships with those who later go on to be senior members of partner militaries.”
-- Special Defense Acquisition: “[This program] allows us to anticipate what the sales are going to be to foreign partners to buy defense articles in advance of those sales of high-demand sorts of items,” Gilman explained, “and then to provide those items to our partners.”
-- Excess Defense Articles: A major effort is going on now in this longstanding program with regard to Afghanistan, Gilman said, “and how we provide what we anticipate will be a large number of defense articles [there] to our foreign partners. It’s a way to make sure we reduce the possibility of waste in terms of demilitarization on the ground in Afghanistan.”

Looking ahead for DSCA, Gilman said building interoperability and sustainability and staying ahead of the competition are among the agency’s key opportunities and challenges.

DSCA differs from what a customer might see in a direct commercial sale, such as in the Foreign Military Sales program, because the agency provides what Gilman described as a total-package approach. A partner in a direct commercial sale would have to go to several commercial vendors to determine its own commercial requirements, he explained.

“But DSCA will work with partners to say, ‘This is the equipment you want to meet a certain need, these are the weapons you’ll need to go with that equipment, this is the training you will need [and] these are the requirements you will need on your base,’” Gilman said. “And we can provide all that through letters of offer and acceptance as to an estimate of how much it will cost.”

The agency also offers the advantage of the U.S. contracting process, he added, “so we can leverage our ability, especially if they’re contracting for something that’s already in the U.S. system, because we have an existing contract.”

DSCA can leverage the fact that the agency is buying the item to keep the price down for the customer, Gilman said.

“Some customers have a less-than-transparent acquisition system [at home], and they like the transparency the U.S. acquisition system offers them, so there are a number of benefits,” he added.
Other countries have had experience with foreign military sales, he said, and they prefer the DSCA approach.

“At the end of the day, we don’t care whether they use FMS or DSCA, but what we do care about is that they buy U.S. products in whatever way is most effective for them,” he said.

The agency also is seeing more pressure from traditional competitors such as the United Kingdom, France and Russia, and emerging competitors in China, India, Brazil, the European Union and elsewhere, Gilman said.

“China is becoming more and more of a player in the international armaments sales arena, and South Korea is becoming a significant competitor in the international armaments sales arena,” he said. “The United States wants to maintain its role as the preeminent competitor for the reasons of building relationships with our partners.

Global Strike Airman recognized as one AF's most 'Outstanding'

by Staff Reports

9/19/2013 - WASHINGTON -- Twelve outstanding individuals were recognized for their superior leadership, job performance, community involvement and personal achievements in a dinner hosted by the Air Force Association as part of the 2013 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C. Sept. 16.

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year is then-Senior Airman now Staff Sgt. Joseph Senteno, a budget technician formerly of the 2nd Comptroller Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

Now stationed at Nellis AFB, Nev., Senteno oversaw a $9.2 million budget and executed more than $129 million in Air Force funds as a budget technician in AFGSC during 2012. During this time, he recaptured more than $13 million of over-estimated costs to return buying power to his wing and developed a detailed balance tracker for all financial obligations, which became a benchmark for the Command. He processed 176 financial documents worth $18 million and made funding available ahead of schedule for security forces and Airmen Leadership School upgrades.

Senteno, along with the other 12, earn the Outstanding Airman ribbon with the bronze service star device and wear the Outstanding Airman badge for one year. He will also serve on the Air Force Enlisted Council for one year.

The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, a general officer and selected major command chiefs comprise the selection board, and the Air Force chief of staff reviews the selections.

According to Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody, the committee selected the deserving 12.

"I don't have any hesitation that we have picked the right 12 people," Cody said. "They are an exceptional representation of the 690,000 Airmen serving in our Air Force around the world."

Staff Sgt. David Salanitri contributed to this story.

B-1 goes to sea for testing, evaluation

by Senior Airman Peter Thompson
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

9/18/2013 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The B-1B Lancer may have made its name supporting ground troops and destroying land-based targets, but the Air Force is now developing tactics for using the aircraft over the ocean.

A B-1B Lancer from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, alongside other bomber and fighter aircraft, participated in a maritime tactics development and evaluation Sept. 4 with the goal of improving and better understanding the aircraft's capabilities in the new environment.

"Many of the dynamic targeting skills we've refined over the past decade on land are directly applicable in the maritime environment," said Capt. Alicia Datzman, chief of weapons and tactics for the 337th Test and Evaluations Squadron at Dyess. . "This is the perfect opportunity to validate and refine these tactics."

During the evaluations, the B-1 dropped a total of six munitions to include a laser-guided, 500-pound bomb GBU-54, as well as 500 and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions.


"This evaluation solidifies what our crew members have already known - we can strike surface targets," said Lt. Col. Alejandro Gomez, 337th special projects officer. "The knowledge we gain from these events gives combatant commanders assurance that we can be called upon to complete the mission."

The B-1's role in the tactics development and evaluation exercise was to detect, target and engage small boats using currently fielded and available weapons, which were released in all weather conditions.

Gomez said that B-1s are versatile aircraft, capable of protecting important assets at sea and patrolling allied shipping lanes, because of its speed and ability to stay in the air longer than most aircraft.

"Future wars might not all be on land, some may include surface combat, so we are evaluating the way we employ the B-1 to aid in completing the mission," Gomez said.

With the platform constantly being upgraded and new applications for the aircraft being discovered regularly, the 337th TES is often called upon to find new and innovative ways to use the Bomber.

"We are the 911 of the B-1 community," Gomez said. "When something needs to be adjusted or improved for our aircraft, we are called upon to find the solution."

Gomez said one of the most useful tools in the 337th TES arsenal is the TD&E. During a TD&E, data is collected in flight of all information contributing to the mission. Once completed, the aircrew examines data from the mission to determine how efficiently they tracked, engaged and destroyed the target. From there, the 337th TES develops future tactics, techniques and procedures manuals using the knowledge they've gained.

With more experience in varying environments, B-1s are becoming increasingly capable of serving in joint operations with the Air Force's sister branches.

"Success in these sorts of tests gives our sister services confidence that the B-1 can get the effects they need to meet combatant commander requirements both over land and sea.With the right assets supporting us, this platform is unstoppable," Gomez said. "We can't do it all alone, but by working with others, the B-1 is capable of doing so much to support our nation."

Colorado National Guard, Army Soldiers rescue more than 2,100 people displaced by massive floods

Courtesy story

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (9/16/13) - More than 550 Colorado National Guardsmen and active-duty Army Soldiers have rescued in excess of 2,100 people and hundreds of pets displaced by flooding in Colorado.

Active-duty Army Soldiers and helicopters from Fort Carson, Colo., joined the Colorado National Guard in rescue efforts Sept. 13.
Additionally, Guardsmen filled nearly 10,000 sandbags in Jefferson County to help civil authorities mitigate flooding effects.

The massive floods left at least four people dead, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Defense Department spokesman George Little noted that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel supported Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's request Sept. 13 to establish a dual-status commander in the state.

Since then, he added, Air Force Brig. Gen. Peter J. Byrne, joint staff director for the Colorado National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, and his assigned forces of nearly 560 Colorado and Wyoming National Guard members have evacuated more than 2,100 residents.

National Guard officers designated as dual-status commanders have the authority to command both federal and National Guard forces during a domestic response. In the absence of the designation, federal troops operating under Title 10 authority report to one commander, and National Guard members serving under Title 32 state active duty authority report to another.

"Active duty forces, through the coordination and direction of U.S. Northern Command, are complementing these National Guard assets in the overall response to the flood relief efforts,” Little said. “Seven helicopters from the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson have been conducting search-and-rescue operations under immediate response authority.”

Despite dealing with some tough weather, the press secretary said, 4th Infantry Division soldiers have rescued more than 700 residents, including 85 elementary school students at a camp near Jamestown. Buckley Air Force Base has been designated as a Federal Emergency Management Agency staging area.

"This cooperative effort among active and reserve forces to protect lives in Colorado's flood-ravaged areas is a testament to the department's ability to provide critical and timely support to FEMA and first responders during a domestic crisis,” Little said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those impacted by the events in Colorado and we hope for the continued safety for all emergency response personnel involved."

Senior leaders salute Air Force’s 66th birthday

Air Force News Service

WASHINGTON (9/18/13) - Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody issued the following message to the Airmen of the United States Air Force:

On the 66th birthday of the United States Air Force, we salute the dedicated Airmen who provide airpower for America.

From 1947 to today, Airmen have accomplished our Service's core missions - air and space superiority; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; rapid global mobility; global strike; and command and control. We have evolved into a service that carries out missions through air, space and cyberspace, but our core missions have remained constant. Advances in technology now allow us to fly faster, farther and higher than ever before. We use aircraft and spacecraft that no one could have imagined at our service's creation, and we continue to provide an asymmetric advantage for America.
Airmen have been and continue to be the strength of our service. The U.S. Air Force was forged by airpower legends with names like Sijan, Levitow, Jones and Day. These heroes and many others made history, and their legacy continues as today's Airmen write the history of this generation. Decades from now, the names of Airmen among us today will be as familiar as the names of the earlier heroes we celebrate.

America depends on the Airmen who provide global vigilance, global reach and global power, and our remarkable total force of active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen has never failed to answer the Nation's call. Please join us in proudly celebrating the 66th birthday of the U.S. Air Force. As always, we sincerely thank you and your families for all that you do.

Happy Birthday, Air Force!

Missouri Air National Guard pilot surpasses 1,000 flying hours in stealth bomber

By Senior Master Sgt. Mary-Dale Amison
131st Bomb Wing Public Affairs

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (9/18/13) - A routine flying mission became a major achievement for the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing when Maj. Luke Jayne surpassed 1,000 flying hours in the B-2 Spirit Saturday.

Crossing the 1000-hour mark, Jayne joins an elite group of pilots, said Maj. Jared Kennish, 110th Bomb Squadron commander.
"Maj. Jayne's flight is another milestone for the 110th Bomb Squadron and the131st Bomb Wing," said Kennish, who logged his 1,000th hour piloting a B-2 in 2009.

"In his short time in the squadron, Maj. Jayne has been a great asset. Events like this really highlight the success of our total force integration with the 509th Bomb Wing, and showcase the experience we in the Air Guard bring to the B-2 mission."

Fewer than 600 active duty Air Force and Air National Guard pilots have flown the B-2 bomber and of those only 35 have logged 1000 flying hours or more.

"I have flown a couple of times recently, but was just hours shy of logging 1,000 hours," Jayne said, "I had about a three-month delay in flying due to my transition to the Air National Guard, which is normal, but it was a bit nerve wracking because I was so close."

While relatively new to the 131st, Jayne was active duty for just over 11 years, including duty stations at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Whiteman.

"I didn't really pursue aviation until I was in college, but quickly learned that I loved it," Jayne said, "It wasn't until my sophomore year that I looked into a military option when a buddy talked me into joining Air Force ROTC at Kansas State."

Currently the weapons and tactics officer for the 110th Bomb Squadron attached to the 325th Weapons School, Jayne also has flying time in the T-37 and T-38 as an instructor pilot.

Saturday, he piloted the B-2 "Spirit of Alaska" alongside Col. Edward Martignetti, 509th Bomb Wing Operations Group commander.

"I first met Maj. Jayne as his squadron commander and knew straight-away that he's an exceptional aviator and instructor," Martignetti said. "I also knew that he's a perfect fit for our total force integration brethren setting the foundational standard of B-2 Spirit exceptionalism. The 509th hired him directly from undergraduate pilot training for a reason and, a decade later, the 131st hired him for the same reason - his unrelenting drive for perfection in execution and commitment to teaching our officers and pilots the same.

"It was an honor for me, as the 509th Operations Group commander, to be given the opportunity to fly with 'Deuce' on this milestone sortie. He has established a reputation as an outstanding pilot and will be an asset to the 131st Bomb Wing. I have no doubt that he'll be one of the first to achieve 2,000 B-2 hours!"

The 131st Bomb Wing and 110th Bomb Squadron have lived through much of aviation history in 90 years as a unit, and since relocating from Saint Louis to Whiteman in 2008, have seen many achievements, most recently the passing of their initial nuclear surety inspection.

Only 35 pilots have ever reached 1,000 B-2 hours, and just 13 still actively fly the B-2 stealth bomber.
Jayne joins fellow 1,000 hour 131st pilots Col. Mike Pyburn, Lt. Col. Rhett Binger, Lt. Col Dave Thompson, Lt Col. Geoff Billingsley, Maj. Jared Kennish, Maj. John Avery, and Lt. Col Mike Means (over 1700 hours), who recently retired from the 131st Bomb Wing)

"Flying the B-2 is an incredible privilege that I haven't lost sight of in my years at Whiteman," said Jayne, "I can't believe I get to continue doing this as a Guardsman with the Missouri Air National Guard. My family and I are very blessed and thankful for this opportunity."

Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), U.S. Pacific Command, and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) successfully conducted a flight test today of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the intercept of a complex separating short-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB guided missile.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (8:30 p.m. EDT), a complex separating short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew northwest towards a broad ocean area of the Pacific Ocean. Following target launch, the USS Lake Erie detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched two SM-3 Block IB guided missiles to engage the target. The first SM-3 that was launched successfully intercepted the target warhead. This was the first salvo mission of two SM-3 Block IB guided missiles launched against a single separating target.

Program officials will assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.
This test exercised the latest version of the second-generation Aegis BMD Weapon System, capable of engaging longer range and more sophisticated ballistic missiles. This was an operationally realistic test, in which the target's launch time and bearing are not known in advance, and the target complex was the most difficult target engaged to date.

Today's event, designated Flight Test-Standard Missile-21 (FTM-21), was the fourth consecutive successful intercept test of the SM-3 Block IB guided missile with the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System.

FTM-21 is the 27th successful intercept in 33 flight test attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002. Across all Ballistic Missile Defense System programs, this is the 63rd successful hit-to-kill intercept in 79 flight test attempts since 2001.

Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the SM-3, as well as short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IV missile. The MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program.

U.S., Philippines construct school facilities during Pacific Unity 2013-7

by Master Sgt. Ryan Kruse
Defense Media Activity, Hawaii

9/18/2013 - PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines -- Classes at the Virgilio R. Magbanua Memorial Elementary School, here, have been taught with an orchestra of pounding hammers, loud generators and buzzing circular saws in the background.

The symphony is courtesy of 28 Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Group from Kadena Air Base, Japan, with U.S. Navy and Philippine Air Force counterparts, who came out Aug. 12 through Sept. 12, to support Operation Pacific Unity 2013-7.

Pacific Unity is a bilateral Engineering Civic Action Program conducted in the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with host nation civil authorities and military personnel.

Two permanent classrooms made out of concrete and steel were built to replace an old overhead plastic tent that teachers used to instruct up to 70 students at the small school.

"The goal of Pacific Unity is conducting joint force operations coupled with humanitarian relief and civil military operations," said 2nd Lt. Ethan Widrick, project officer in charge.

The long hours Widrick's team put in does not go unnoticed.

"We are very thankful for the U.S. Air Force," said Maria Bella Magbanua, 3rd grade teacher. "There are 306 students and currently we only have one bathroom."

The school now has five new restrooms inside the classrooms. One teacher joked that another benefit of having a bathroom inside the classroom is that some students don't return to class after using the outside restroom.

The airmen are also replacing a leaking roof and adding a concrete courtyard near the main entrance.

For one Airman, the job reminded him of his childhood.

Tech. Sgt. Donald Sicat, 18th CE structural craftsman, grew up near Clark Air Base, Philippines, when it was still an active base. He moved to the United States when he was 10 years old, but he vividly remembers the humanitarian missions that helped his community with medical and civic action programs.

"For me to be able to do the same thing they did for me is a humbling experience, said Sicat. These are my people and I know firsthand what they're going through. To be able to build them a school like this is a wonderful thing."

This year marks the fourth iteration of the operation which began in 2010.

Welsh champions communication, airpower in Air Force update

By Staff Sgt. David Salanitri, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Operating Location - Pentagon

WASHINGTON (AFNS) --The Air Force chief of staff discussed airpower and the service’s warfighting capabilities across its core missions at the Air Force Association’s 2013 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here today. Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented the Air Force update on the second day of the three-day, 55-session conference covering various topics pertaining to the total force.

Welsh described what the Air Force must do to remain dominant in air, space and cyberspace domains. He noted the service’s 690,000 members performing air-related duties compared to the Navy’s 70,000 personnel, the Marines’ 39,000 and the Army’s 34,000.

“There is one Air Force in America, and you’re in it,” Welsh said. “If the combatant commander wants airpower, there’s only one number to call.”

Welsh also addressed the issue of readiness, especially in light of current budget constraints. “We have to minimize the impact where we can -- it’s not going to be good.”

The general acknowledged other impacts to the force, including scale-backs to exercises and weapons schools but said he remains confident in Airmen.

“Our force is better educated than it has ever been, and we need to empower our Airmen -- they’re remarkably capable.”

Welsh encouraged the use of social media to facilitate two-way communication and buffer against communication pitfalls such as “stove-piped information.”

“Chief (Master Sgt. of the Air Force James) Cody and I are on Facebook and Twitter, which is terrifying,” Welsh said over laughter. “Follow us.”
Welsh said the newest “Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power for America” document is internally focused and designed to help Airmen understand their role in the broader scheme of the Air Force. He also described Air Force 2023, an effort in progress to incorporate resources and strategy.

“Then we start turning the ship and heading to whatever that picture of 2023 looks like,” Welsh said.

With budget woes casting a haze of uncertainty on the future, the general called the furlough “a breach of faith” that he hopes does not occur again. He acknowledged the challenges of Air Force civilians who’ve been without pay raises for three years.

Welsh also expressed concern about retaining the Air Force’s best Airmen, specifically pilots, as training hours dwindle and units are grounded.

“Our rated force has options,” Welsh said. “They served well and now they have choices to make … If we’re not letting them keep their edge, they’ll walk.”

The Air Force’s recapitalization priorities include the KC-46 tanker, the F-35 Lightning II and the long range-strike bomber -- all critical in engaging with a determined, well-armed, well-trained opponent, the general explained.

Welsh said when people ask him if he worries about the Air Force’s future, the response is simple.

“The answer is no … I’ll never worry,” he said. “Not while (they) are on our side,” Welsh said of several Airmen he asked to join him on stage. “This is our Air Force.”

First Rotational U.S. Army Unit to Deploy to South Korea

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – The Marines have a rotational element that deploys to Darwin, Australia, as part of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. The Navy has started littoral combat ship rotations in Singapore.

Now an Army attack reconnaissance squadron is deploying to South Korea, where it will spend the next nine months as the first U.S. rotational land forces in the region.

The main body of 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment will deploy next week from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., to join its forward elements already on the ground at Camp Humphreys, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, the 7th Infantry Division commander, told American Forces Press Service.

Army officials announced the deployment earlier this month in support of the U.S. defense commitment to South Korea as specified by the mutual defense treaty and presidential agreements.

The 4-6 Cav’s 380 members will operate in support of U.S. 8th Army, the 2nd Infantry Division and the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, Army Lt. Col. Brian Watkins, the squadron commander, said during a telephone interview from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The unit, commonly referred to as the 4-6 Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, will deploy with 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The aircraft where shipped from Tacoma, Wash., and are expected to arrive in South Korea later this month, Watkins said.

Plans call for the squadron to leave the helicopters behind after the deployment is completed for use by the follow-on rotational unit, from U.S. Army Alaska.

While in South Korea, the 4-6 Cav will provide a trained and combat-ready rotational force in support of U.S. Forces Korea, commanded by Army Gen. James D. Thurman, Lanza said.

“General Thurman and the team in Korea are very excited to have them come out, because there are strategic implications of sending this force to Korea,” he said.

Lanza said he, too, is enthusiastic that, as his soldiers’ commitments wind down in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, they will be able to assume more missions in the Asia-Pacific region in support of the U.S. strategic rebalance.

“We are excited to provide resources, capacity and capability to [U.S. Pacific Command] and really support our Army here as we rebalance and support the president’s strategy,” he said.

Watkins said the rotational unit “will tie in and certainly offer some enhanced security for the peninsula,” particularly with the additional reconnaissance assets it will provide.

“We will definitely be adding some capability there,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Humphreys has helped the 4-6 Cav focus its pre-deployment training to fit the mission it will fill during the rotation, Watkins said.

“They have an established headquarters there, and they have done a great job of making sure they are ready to receive us and helping us hit the ground running so we can be successful when we are over there,” he said.

The 4-6 Cav has two combat deployments to Iraq under its belt, Watkins said. The first was to Baghdad from shortly after the initial invasion in 2003 to 2004, and the second was in Mosul during the troop surge from 2007 to 2008.

The squadron was slated for a third Iraq deployment, but was removed from the deployment roster as the United States began scaling down and ultimately withdrawing the force there.

With combat veterans making up about 40 percent of the rotational unit, Watkins said, the combat experience will be “invaluable” during the upcoming deployment.

“The way we will execute the missions will be slightly different, based on the capability of the potential enemy that is out there, but that combat experience gives [the soldiers] the capability to make good decisions when it comes to operating the aircraft and figuring out how to execute the missions,” he said.

Pairing combat veterans with those who have never deployed in the cockpit will help to spread this expertise across the squadron, making the entire organization better, he said.

Watkins said he welcomes the opportunity for his soldiers to partner with their South Korean counterparts.

“It offers a chance for us to share lessons learned and to learn a bit more about how our allies’ armies do their business,” he said.

But particularly exciting, he said, is the opportunity to chart new ground.

“I think it is a great thing for the squadron to be the first,” Watkins said. “It gives us the opportunity to help prepare and lay groundwork for the units that follow us -- not just the squadron that is going to immediately follow us, but the other Army units that potentially could be identified as rotational units.
“This will allow us to look at some of the things we have done, identify some best practices, and help make them successful as they come over and support future rotations,” he said.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, the U.S. Pacific Command commander, is a big fan of rotational units that he said provide an “uptick in presence” that complements that provided by the 330,000 service members permanently based within the Pacom area of responsibility.

“What they provide is an ability to work with our allies and to leverage the capabilities of the allies across all aspects of peace to conflict,” the admiral said. Rotational forces, he added, also provide a regional presence that could pay dividends if the United States had to flow more forces into a particular area to protect the interests of the U.S. and its allies.

Locklear acknowledged that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have tied up many Army assets for the past 12 years, limiting training opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Our ability to operate effectively, cross-Army to cross-Army, has not been good in the last decade or so, because most Army assets were tied up in the Middle East,” the admiral said.

Five of the world’s largest armies are in the Asia-Pacific, said Locklear, who noted that he welcomed the chance for increased U.S. Army engagement in the region.

Strategy, Threats, Resources Must Balance, Winnefeld Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – The tough fiscal environment means the Air Force must make investment choices that protect America and its interests today, but also in the future, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Air Force Association’s annual Air and Space Conference today.
Navy Adm. James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr. said that with less money, it is even more important to make the correct operational and investment decisions.

The threats are out there, the admiral said. In the past, he added, there was enough money to fund responses to those threats to the nation and its interests and allies. But with fewer dollars, he said, it is imperative to prioritize the competing claims on a shrinking defense budget.

Threats run the gamut, “beginning with major nation-states, who have watched the U.S. military’s impressive capability -- with some anxiety -- and who are working hard to catch up,” Winnefeld said. These states cannot challenge American military superiority head to head, he added, but they will try to do so asymmetrically.

The threats include highly insecure authoritarian states such as Iran, North Korea and Syria. Such nations, the vice chairman explained, conclude that obtaining deliverable nuclear weapons is the best insurance policy for their regimes.

“This also has huge implications, ranging from the importance of limited missile defense to how we might handle a conflict on the Korean Peninsula,” Winnefeld said.

And the threat from violent extremists hasn’t disappeared, the admiral said. These terrorists have “morphed from a centrally controlled apparatus within a supportive host nation, to a group of highly diversified, feisty and independent yet weakened franchises living mostly in poorly governed or ungoverned spaces,” he told the audience.

These groups are learning and have become “operationally wiser” over time, and they still threaten American citizens and interests across the globe, he said.

“There are other threats, including transnational criminal organizations and cyber-empowered individuals,” Winnefeld said. “Even the threat of disasters is changing along with the Earth’s climate.”
The Pentagon’s strategy prioritizes these threats, the vice chairman said. But Congress, he added, must provide the Defense Department with the flexibility to manage whatever funds it gets to meet those missions.

Congress should give the department “as much freedom to maneuver as possible within our budgets, and by removing restrictions on our ability to become more efficient,” Winnefeld added. Congress needs to remove limitations on the “downsizing glideslopes,” the vice chairman said, “where we need to get our old stuff out of the system so we can buy and sustain new stuff.”

Congress also needs to authorize a new round of base closures and realignments so the Defense Department can get rid of the 20 percent excess infrastructure it is carrying, Winnefeld said, adding that Congress and DOD officials need to look at personnel accounts as well.

“While everyone here would agree that our magnificent men and women in uniform deserve more than the average bear, we simply cannot sustain our recent growth trajectory in pay and benefits and expect to preserve a properly sized, trained and equipped force,” he said.

“Some will fight some of these needed changes, but I would ask you to stand up and understand that the most important benefit we can provide for our people is to train and equip them to fly, fight and win and come home safely to their families,” Winnefeld said.

Cannon prepares to honor POW/MIA comrades

by Senior Airman Whitney Tucker
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

9/9/2013 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Each year, ceremonies affirming the commitment to bring home America's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action service members are held across the country on military installations and ships at sea; at state capitals, schools and churches; by national veteran and civic organizations, police and fire departments; and a plethora of other agencies.

Joining in this collective veneration, Air Commandos at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., have the opportunity to participate in several activities commemorating America's lost, courtesy of the base Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 1255. Activities will include a ruck march, monument clean up, name reading vigil, remembrance luncheon and retreat ceremony.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Office, more than 83,000 Americans remain missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War.

Even as they stare these statistics in the face, America's sons and daughters pledge to support and defend during one of the nation's most volatile conflicts to date. They do so of their own volition, with the knowledge that some will pay the ultimate price, and others will fall under the power of the enemy.

This fearless demonstration of conviction speaks to the confidence service members have placed in the ability of their government to fulfill the promise to never stop searching, and to bring resolution to past, present and future generations in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

POW/MIA events are scheduled as follows:

· 16 Sept: Ruck March
· 17 Sept: Chapel Monument Clean Up
· 18 Sept: Name Reading Vigil
· 19 Sept: POW/MIA Luncheon
· 19 Sept: 24-hour Vigil Run
· 20 Sept: Retreat Ceremony (National POW/MIA Recognition Day)

For more information regarding AFSA Chapter 1255's planned POW/MIA events, contact Tech. Sgt. Julie McLaughlin at 575-784-2131.

Military Assets Ready to Back Up Diplomatic Push With Syria

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – U.S. military assets remain ready to launch attacks if the diplomatic efforts to secure and dismantle the Syrian regime’s chemical arms should fail, senior defense officials said here today.

In a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military role today is limited.

“The current role of the military is to provide some planning assistance to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons … who has the lead, and as well as to maintain the credible threat of force, should the diplomatic track fail,” Dempsey said.

The chairman said he believes forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar Assad have maintained control of the regime’s chemical weapons. The environment inside Syria is “very challenging,” he added.

Still, Dempsey said, he believes it is possible for the international community to work in the country.
“So long as [Syrian leaders] agree to the framework, which causes them to be responsible for the security, the movement, the protection of the investigators or the inspectors, then I think that … it is feasible,” Dempsey said. “But we’ve got to make sure we keep our eye on all of those things.”

The chairman acknowledged that disposing of chemical weapons is a complicated task.

“The framework calls for it to be controlled, destroyed or moved,” he said. “In some combination, it is feasible, but those details will have to be worked by the OPCW.”

Overall, the conflict in Syria ebbs and flows, the chairman said, and rebel groups in the country are concerned that the focus on chemical weapons will detract from the willingness of partners to support them.

“But … in terms of direct threats to U.S. interests, I think … that the elimination of the Assad regime's chemical capability is right at the top of our national interests,” Dempsey added. “If this process bears fruit and achieves its stated purpose, we will be in a better position.”

Generals speak to importance, relevancy of nuclear enterprise

by Tech. Sgt. Lesley Waters
Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Operating Location - Pentagon

9/18/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Three Air Force generals discussed the state of the service's nuclear enterprise during the Air Force Association's 2013 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17.

Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander; Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, the Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration assistant chief of staff; and Maj. Gen. Sandra Finan, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander, shared their perspectives on the nuclear enterprise and the role of deterrence in the nation's defense.

"The challenges we face today, are different and much more complex than they were back (during the Cold War) in that ideological death struggle with the Soviet Union," Kowalski said to open the panel.

The only capability some countries have is nuclear weapons, which represent existential threats to the United States and the rest of the world.

Kowalski said the United States must be able to deter any adversary and assure any ally, maintaining an arsenal that is safe, secure and effective.

Harencak covered three items that showed how safe, secure and effective the U.S. stockpile is.

"First, we, your United States Air Force, does nuclear deterrence ops superbly, each and every day," Harencak said.

"There has not been a time where there has been a safer, more secure nuclear enterprise than today," Harencak said. "It is because of the senior leadership who is committed to the nuclear enterprise for today and the future."


"Second, is the relevancy of deterrence and the triad," he said. "Deterrence is as relevant today in 2013, as is it was in 1973, 1963 and 1953."

The triad refers to the three arms of the nation's nuclear arsenal, which consists of strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Harencak echoed Kowalski when he said how difficult it is in sustaining and modernizing the weapon systems to provide deterrence in an ever-evolving strategic environment.

He concluded his remarks by saying, "We maintain a safe, secure and effective stockpile for the United States and its allies for as long as nuclear weapons exist."

Finan concluded the panel saying the Nuclear Weapons Center is responsible for delivering the nuclear capabilities the warfighters use. She highlighted how the NWC plans to recapitalize on the nuclear systems to include the ICBM program and depot maintenance concept.

"These programs will help us squeeze the value from every dollar we have," Finan said.

The Air Force is trying to extend the life of the nuclear systems by working closely with the Navy on an interoperable warhead, she said, fusing capital assets and anything else to share costs and knowledge to make both more effective.

"We are facing some difficult challenges in the budget world," she said. "We have to deliver for the United States the nuclear capabilities with the resources we have."

The three-day conference is a professional development conference sponsored and conducted by AFA in support of the total Air Force.

Global Strike Command pounds the pavement

by Airman 1st Class Joseph Raatz
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

9/18/2013 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Elite athletes from all around Air Force Global Strike Command will compete against thousands of other runners at the Air Force Marathon on Wright-Patterson Air Force base, Ohio.

Scheduled for Sept. 21, the 17th annual Air Force Marathon is expected to draw approximately 15,000 participants across four events. Athletes may elect to run a half-marathon or a five or 10 kilometer race, rather than the full marathon. The 26.2 mile full-marathon course traverses several historic locations on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base including the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Wright Brothers Memorial Monument.

As part of the race, AFGSC team members will participate in the Major Command Challenge, an Air Force-wide competition open to active-duty and activated Guard and Reserve servicemembers. The challenge pits MAJCOM teams against one another in a friendly competition to achieve the lowest combined time. A prestigious traveling trophy will be presented to the winning team's MAJCOM commander.

Gen. Bruce Carlson established the MAJCOM Challenge in 2007 to promote broader participation in the Air Force Marathon and foster esprit-de-corps through inter-MAJCOM competition. This is the first year teams will include 10 members and scores will be based purely on combined time.

In accordance with Air Force Marathon regulations the AFGSC team consists of seven men and three women, split into two groups. Members include:

Full Marathon
Capt. Bryan Kelly, 393d Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
1st Lt. Elizabeth Brown, 91st Operations Support Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
Tech. Sgt. Marc Rehm, 608th Air Communications Squadron, Barksdale AFB
Senior Airman Kyle Sturdefant, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Minot AFB

Half Marathon
Maj. Warren Carroll, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB
Capt. Kevin Hostettler, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB
Senior Master Sgt. Julie Van Hise, 709th Munitions Squadron, Whiteman AFB
Senior Airman Tania Miranda Costa, 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
Airman 1st Class Timothy Schlappich, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Minot AFB
Airman 1st Class Cyril Rumsey, 90th Force Support Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB

Sturdefant will return this year to once again represent AFGSC at the Air Force Marathon. Last year he finished the marathon with a time of 2:40, making him the fourth fastest finisher among active duty participants and sixth overall.

"It's my second year on the team, and I feel pretty happy about it," Sturdefant said. "I plan to finish in the top three this year."

The AFGSC team is financed entirely by non-appropriated funds, which are funds raised by the command for the purpose of morale and welfare, rather than by funds budgeted by Congress.

Also participating in the Air Force Marathon is Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, AFGSC commander, who will run the half-marathon with several family members.

U.S., India to Be Partners on World Stage, Carter Says

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 – Because they share common values and outlooks on a wide range of issues, the United States and India are destined to be partners on the world stage, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Indian officials during a visit there this week, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter holds a news conference on the final day of his visit to New Delhi, Sept. 18, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In a statement summarizing the deputy secretary’s visit, Little said Carter met with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and Defense Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur.

Carter discussed with Indian officials the forthcoming meeting in Washington between President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and steps toward deepening the multifaceted U.S.-Indian defense relationship.

“They held in-depth consultations on the ongoing political and security transitions in Afghanistan and other regional security issues, common multilateral engagements, joint military exercises, and the significant and growing defense trade between the two countries,” Little said. “They discussed steps the United States and India are taking to streamline their respective administrative processes and make bilateral defense trade more responsive and effective.”

In addition to these meetings, the press secretary said, Carter was briefed by Indian air force pilots on India's co-produced C-130J transport aircraft and recently procured C-17 cargo jets. He also hosted a meeting of senior representatives from the U.S. and Indian defense industries that focused on additional steps the United States can take to remove barriers to bilateral defense trade, he added.