Hagel: Six Priorities Shape Future Defense Institutions

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2013 – In the months since the 2012 defense strategic guidance first reflected a new budget reality, Pentagon officials and military leaders have been working on the department’s longer-term budget and strategy, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here this morning.

“I have identified six areas of focus for our budget and strategic planning efforts going forward,” the secretary said.

“Working closely with the service secretaries, service chiefs, combatant commanders and DOD leaders,” he added, “these six priorities will help determine the shape of our defense institutions for years to come.”

The priorities include institutional reform, force planning, preparing for a prolonged military readiness challenge, protecting investments in emerging capabilities, balancing capacity and capability across the services, and balancing personnel responsibilities with a sustainable compensation policy.

During his first weeks in office, Hagel said, he directed a Strategic Choices and Management Review that over several months identified options for reshaping the force and institutions in the face of difficult budget scenarios.

“That review pointed to the stark choices and tradeoffs in military capabilities that will be required if sequester-level cuts persist, but it also identified opportunities to make changes and reforms,” Hagel said.

“Above all,” he added, “it underscored the reality that DOD still possesses resources and options. We will need to more efficiently match our resources to our most important national security requirements. We can do things better, we must do things better, and we will.”

Addressing the six priorities that will shape future defense efforts, the secretary began with a continued a focus on institutional reform.

Coming out of more than a decade of war and budget growth, he said, there is a clear opportunity and need to reshape the defense enterprise, including paring back the world’s largest back office. This summer, Hagel announced a 20-percent reduction in headquarters budgets across the department, beginning with the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

“Our goal is not only to direct more of our resources to real military capabilities and readiness,” Hagel said, “but to make organizations flatter and more responsive to the needs of our men and women in uniform.”

The second priority is to re-evaluate the military force-planning construct -- the assumptions and scenarios for which U.S. military forces organize, train and equip themselves.

“I've asked our military leaders to take a very close look at these assumptions [and] question these past assumptions, which will also be re-evaluated across the services as part of the [Quadrennial Defense Review],” the secretary explained.

“The goal,” he added, “is to ensure they better reflect our goals and the shifting strategic environment, the evolving capacity of our allies and partners, real-world threats, and the new military capabilities that reside in our force and in the hands of our potential adversaries.”

Hagel said the third priority will be to prepare for a prolonged military readiness challenge. In managing readiness under sequestration, he added, the services have protected the training and equipping of deploying forces to ensure that no one goes unprepared into harm's way.

This is the department’s highest responsibility to its forces, the secretary said, and yet already, “we have seen the readiness of nondeploying units suffer as training has been curtailed, flying hours reduced, ships not steaming, and exercises canceled.”

The Strategic Choices and Management Review showed that sequester-level cuts could lead to a readiness crisis, and unless something changes, Hagel said, “we have to think urgently and creatively about how to avoid that outcome, because we are consuming our future readiness now.”

The fourth priority will be protecting investments in emerging military capabilities -- especially space, cyber, special operations forces, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the secretary said.

“As our potential adversaries invest in more sophisticated capabilities and seek to frustrate our military's traditional advantages, including our freedom of action and access … around the world,” he said, “it will be important to maintain our decisive technological edge.”

The fifth priority is balance across the services in the mix between capacity and capability, between active and reserve forces, between forward-stationed and home-based forces, and between conventional and unconventional warfighting capabilities, Hagel said.

“In some cases we will make a shift, for example, by prioritizing a smaller, modern and capable military over a larger force with older equipment. We will also favor a globally active and engaged force over a garrison force,” he explained.

The services will look to better leverage the reserve components, with the understanding that part-time units in ground forces can’t expect to perform at the same levels as full-time units, at least in the early stages of a conflict. In other cases, the services will seek to preserve balance, for example, by controlling areas of runaway cost growth, the secretary said.

The sixth priority is personnel and compensation policy, which Hagel said may be the most difficult issue.

“Without serious attempts to achieve significant savings in this area, which consumes roughly now half the DOD budget and increases every year, we risk becoming an unbalanced force, one that is well-compensated but poorly trained and equipped, with limited readiness and capability,” he said.

Going forward, the department must make hard choices in this area to ensure that the defense enterprise is sustainable for the 21st century, the secretary said.

Hagel said Congress must permit meaningful reforms as it reduces the defense budget, and the department needs Congress as a willing partner in making tough choices to bend the cost curve on personnel, while meeting its responsibilities to its people.

“Even as we pursue change across the Department of Defense,” the secretary said, “the greatest responsibility of leadership will always remain the people we represent, our men and women in uniform, their families, and our dedicated civilian workforce.”

Newly painted tail flash celebrates 20 years of partnership between Luke, RSAF

by Senior Airman Grace Lee
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/1/2013 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- It's brightly painted in red and white and definitely one of a kind.

Airmen from the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron painted a mural on the tail of a 425th Fighter Squadron F-16 fighter jet to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Air Force partnering with Luke Air Force Base in training fighter pilots.

"This mural is important because it reminds us of our mission here in Arizona, which is to make full use of every opportunity and resource available or as our saying goes, 'to conduct high-end training,'" said Lt. Col. Maxmillion Goh, 425th Fighter Squadron RSAF senior ranking officer. "It also celebrates the 20 years of partnership and excellence that Peace Carvin II has enjoyed. We couldn't have done it without the many friendships forged between our airmen, maintainers and the local community. We are truly grateful for these wonderful relationships and the continuous support of the wing's leadership throughout the years."

Each component in the design of the tail flash has a meaning.

"The Merlion, which has the head of a lion and body of a fish, is an important symbol to Singapore as a country," said Tech. Sgt. Bradley Watanabe, 56th EMS corrosion control NCO in charge. "And the words, 'Peace Carvin II,' refers to the name of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's detachment at Luke."

Painting the tail requires sanding, spraying a coat of primer, applying the first color and repeating the process after each component is stenciled on, Watanabe said. The last step is spraying a protective clear coat over the design.

While the main mission of the fabrication flight's corrosion control section is to prevent corrosion on aircraft, being involved in such a rare project was an honor, said Senior Master Sgt. Barrington Bartlett, 56th EMS fabrication flight chief.

"We're proud to be part of this project," Bartlett said. "We've had a great relationship with the Republic of Singapore Air Force over the past 20 years, and we want to continue that partnership. This is the first time Luke has painted a mural such as this on an F-16 tail."

Longest-serving Air Force civil servant retires

by Senior Airman Grace Lee
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/1/2013 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Most dream of crossing the retirement finish line after 20 to 35 years of service. For one civil servant, her date of retirement after 70 years wasn't determined based on time, but on her ability to work.

For 88-year-old Dorothy Rowe, 56th Comptroller Squadron financial analysis flight chief, going to work didn't feel like an obligation because it was her passion.

"I enjoy my job and the people I work with," Rowe said. "They are excellent at their jobs, and I also see them as my family."

Rowe's career began in 1943. She was 17 and worked as a clerk typist at the Columbus Army Depot, Ohio. After ten years she accepted a position at Luke Air Force Base as a military pay clerk.

Since that time a lot has changed for Rowe, especially in technology.

Her first assignment was to learn the Dewy Decimal System. She went from using five hard copy ledger books, a 10-key adding machine and filing cabinets to learning how to use a desktop computer.

Rowe, who was eligible for retirement 50 years ago, said she just knew it was time to retire.

"I wasn't ready to retire 50 years ago," Rowe said. "I had started working for the government when I was 17. I know the time has come now because I don't want to die sitting at my desk," she chuckled.

Elizabeth Garey, 56th CPTS budget analyst, who's worked for Rowe since 1996, considers Rowe to be a mentor.

"Ms. Rowe was always trying to help us better our skills and advance in our careers," Garey said. "She was committed to her job and was even-handed and fair when it came to the budget and those she worked with. I think it's absolutely amazing for her to put in so many years as a civil servant."

First Lt. Christopher Bennett, 56th CPTS budget analyst, considers it an honor serving alongside Rowe.

"She is a very kind and generous woman," Bennett said. "She gave her entire adult life to the service of her country, not just because she's a patriot, but because this became her family."

Maj. Scott Smith, 56th CPTS commander, recognizes the legacy Rowe leaves behind.

"Ms. Dorothy Rowe has been a steadfast, vibrant part of the financial community at Luke," Smith said. "We have mixed emotions as we celebrate her 70-year distinguished career, recognizing that Dorothy truly loved her job. Her dedication stands as an inspiration to everyone and serves as a reminder of how one Airman can profoundly impact countless others across our community. Dorothy will remain a treasured member of our Comptroller family."

Rowe leaves Luke Thunderbolts with fond memories.

"I have no regrets whatsoever, because I liked my job and the people I worked with," she said. "If I could, I would do it all over again."

Rowe is scheduled to retire in a ceremony Tuesday.

Bomb wing balances training with inspection

by Tech. Sgt. Ted Daigle
307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/5/2013 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Reservists in the 307th Bomb Wing handled the tasks of participating in exercise Global Thunder 2013 and a nuclear operational readiness inspection at Barksdale and Minot AFB, N.D., Oct. 24-Nov. 5.

Global Thunder is U.S. Strategic Command's annual field training and battle staff exercise. It trains Airmen to deter, and if necessary, defeat a military attack against the United States.

The exercise and inspection marked a special moment in the military capability of the wing, according to Col. Jonathan Ellis, 307th BW commander.

"This is the capstone event in our journey to complete the building of the Air Force Reserve Command's nuclear bomber mission," he said.

Two nuclear-qualified crews from the 343rd Bomb Squadron participated in the NORI with active-duty Airmen from Barksdale's 2nd BW and Minot's 5th BW.

The NORI is mandated on a regular basis by Air Force Global Strike Command, said Lt. Col. Robert Burgess, 343rd BS commander. "Participation in both Global Thunder 2013 and the NORI validates the nuclear mission of the wing.

"We were initially certified in the nuclear mission at the beginning of the year, so this is our first nuclear readiness inspection," he said. "Successfully participating in the exercise and inspection proves we are equal partners in the total force enterprise."

Ellis said juggling Global Thunder and the NORI enhances the preparedness of the 307th BW for future training and real-world situations.

"We fight the way we train, and this exercise gives us the opportunity to practice our processes, find the stress points and see where we need to concentrate our training efforts," he said. "As a result, we will have a stronger, more capable war fighting cadre."

According to Ellis, the total team effort displayed by command post controller, maintainers, aircrews and security forces personnel made the training effort successful.

"I am exceptionally happy with the performance of all of the 307th BW warriors who took part in Exercise Global Thunder," he said. "We have shown ourselves to be integral members of the nation's nuclear enterprise in support of Air Force Global Strike Command's mission."

ESGR accepting nominations for Freedom Award

11/5/2013 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is accepting nominations for the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense's top award for civilian employers who support their employees in the National Guard and Reserve.

ESGR encourages guardsmen and reservists, or family members acting on their behalf, to nominate employers by going to www.FreedomAward.mil by Jan. 20.

Members of the Guard and Reserve comprise nearly one-half of the nation's military force. They provide essential services to national security and humanitarian efforts at home and abroad.

Supportive employers help keep the U.S. military strong and the nation secure, said Paul Mock, ESGR national chair.

"Across the nation, employers have shown noteworthy support to their service member employees and families," he said. "Whether on routine duty, responding to natural disasters or serving in a deployed location, employers who encourage military service make it easier to serve.

"By submitting a Freedom Award nomination, a member of the National Guard or Reserve can acknowledge and thank their employer for the critical role they play in our nation's defense."

Each year the Freedom Award program honors up to 15 employers in Washington, D.C. Since its inception in 1996, the program has recognized 190 employers.

Examples of past recipients' support include continued benefits and healthcare for deployed service members, home maintenance and childcare support and veteran hiring initiatives.

Established in 1972, ESGR develops and maintains employer support for Guard and Reserve service. It advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers.

More information about the Freedom Award and ESGR is available by contacting Beth Sherman, ESGR Public Affairs, at 571-372-0705 or by email at OSD.ESGR-PA@mail.mil

Military Essential in U.S. Foreign Policy Future, Hagel Says

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2013 – The U.S. military will remain an essential tool of American power in 21st century foreign policy, a tool that must be used wisely, precisely and judiciously, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today.

Delivering the keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Security Forum, the secretary said most of the century’s pressing security challenges have important diplomatic, national and global economic and cultural components that cannot and will not be resolved by military strength alone.

“As we go forward into a historically unpredictable world,” Hagel added, “we need to place more emphasis on our civilian instruments of power while adapting our military [to] remain strong, capable, second to none, and relevant in the face of threats markedly different from what shaped it during the Cold War and over the past two decades.”

America's hard power always will be critical to fashioning enduring solutions to global problems, the secretary said, but success ultimately depends on all instruments of power working together, on how well such instruments are maintained and funded, and on how well they are balanced and integrated.

“President [Barack] Obama's resolve to take military action to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons helped create an opening for diplomacy with Russia, which we've pursued,” Hagel said.

That, he added, led to a U.N. Security Council resolution and to the involvement of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons inspectors on the ground in Syria who are working to oversee the removal and destruction of chemical weapons.

“We are on a course to eliminate one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world,” the secretary said.

DOD, which has maintained and will continue to maintain military pressure on the Assad regime, developed the technology that may be used to destroy these chemical weapons, he said.

“We may have another possibility with Iran, where we are engaging on a diplomatic path to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” the secretary said, adding that along the way the United States will maintain a strong, ready military presence in the Persian Gulf and the broader Middle East to deter Iran's destabilizing activities and work with and protect U.S. allies and interests.

Hagel said the multidimensional challenges confronting the United States in Iran and Syria are but two aspects of the global complexity already apparent in the early years of the 21st century.

Among the trends are shifting geopolitical centers of gravity that reflect astounding diffusion of economic power and sweeping demographic change, he said.

“China, India, Brazil and Indonesia are all helping reshape the global economy,” Hagel added. “Regional powers like Turkey are maturing and asserting greater independence from traditional allies and patrons. The Asia-Pacific region has taken on an even greater prominence in global politics, commerce and security.”

Latin America and Africa will develop and strengthen, he said, becoming important leaders in building a secure and prosperous 21st century.

Cyber activists, terrorists and criminal networks, and nonstate actors will play a role in defining the international system, the secretary explained. New structures of governance and power will emerge as the world population becomes more urbanized, mobile and technologically advanced, bringing new standards and expectations as they develop, he said.

Technology and 21st-century communication tools bring people closer together than at any time in the history of man, helping link their aspirations and their grievances, he said.

“We know that the rapid pace of change will only accelerate as the world undergoes an historic generational shift. More than 40 percent of the world's 7 billion people today are under the age of 25, and 90 percent of them live outside the United States and Europe.”

Turbulent regions such as the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa will continue to experience these challenges as their populations increase and exceed their educational and employment opportunities. The challenge of terrorism will continue to demand unprecedented collaboration with partners and allies. Destructive technologies and weapons that were once the provenance of advanced militaries are being sought by nonstate actors and other nations, the secretary said.

Sophisticated cyberattacks have the potential of inflicting debilitating damage on national and world economies and critical infrastructure. Natural disasters, pandemic diseases and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction all present further destabilizing realities to regions in the world, he added.

Regional tensions and conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and elsewhere continue to have the potential to erupt into larger-scale conflicts, drawing in the United States, China and Russia.

“While these challenges are not America's responsibilities alone, they will demand America's continued global leadership and engagement,” Hagel said.

“No other nation has the will, the power, the capacity, the capability and the network of alliances to lead the international community in addressing them,” he added.

The secretary said sustaining leadership increasingly will depend not only on the extent of the United States’ great power but in appreciating its limits and wisely deploying its influence.

“We must not fall prey to the false notion of American decline. That is … far too simple an explanation,” he said, adding that many of the challenges facing the nation are political, not structural.

“We remain the world's preeminent military, economic and diplomatic power,” Hagel said. “And even as we deal with new budgetary constraints on defense spending, the United States will continue to represent nearly 40 percent of global defense expenditures, and most of the world's other leading military powers are America's close allies.”

What always distinguished the United States is not the existence of its great power but the way in which that power has been used to make a better world, the secretary said.

“In the 21st century, the United States must continue to be a force for and an important symbol of humanity, freedom and progress for all mankind,” Hagel said. “We must also make a far better effort to understand how the world sees us and why. We must listen more.”

After more than a decade of costly, controversial, and, at times, open-ended war, America is redefining its role in the world, the secretary said.

The United States must work to find the smartest and the most effective solutions to problems, Hagel said. Military forces, he said, must always remain an option but it should be an option of last resort. And, the military should always play a supporting role in America's foreign policy, the secretary said.

“America's role in the world should reflect the hope and promise of our country and the possibilities for all mankind, tempered with a wisdom that has been the hallmark of our national character,” Hagel said.

“That means pursuing a principled and engaged realism that employs diplomatic, economic and security tools,” he added, “as well as our values, to advance our security and our prosperity.”

(Follow Cheryl Pellerin on Twitter: @PellerinAFPS)

Locklear Welcomes Closer U.S.-China Cooperation

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2013 – Recognizing the United States’ growing strategic partnership with China, the top U.S. commander in the Asia-Pacific region expressed hope today that commitments by the U.S. and Chinese presidents will promote communication, understanding and closer cooperation between their militaries.

Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Press Center here, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, the U.S. Pacific Command commander, emphasized the importance of communication between allies and partners, including China, in a highly interconnected world.

“To have the militaries not communicating with each other just doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said.

“It is a different world. We are very connected in many, many ways across our societies,” Locklear said. “So it is important that military leaders … establish a relationship that lets us understand each other.”

Understanding leads to a degree of transparency, and transparency leads to a degree of trust, he continued. “And trust leads to an ability to prevent miscalculation,” he added.

Locklear acknowledged that the United States and China – like any other countries – won’t always share the same views. “There will always be things that countries disagree about. That is just the nature of the world,” he said. “There are always going to be friction points that can lead to a potential miscalculation.”

But “the last place you want those miscalculations occurring is at the military level,” he said. “So the more understanding we have of each other, I think the less chance of those miscalculations occurring.”

Locklear expressed optimism over an agreement by President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jingping to promote that closer cooperation. Meeting in June for two days of informal talks, the presidents agreed that North Korea should denuclearize, and they pledged to work together to resolve cybersecurity and other issues.

“What President Barack Obama and President Xi Jingping said was that we are going to look at some ways to improve that mil-to-mil connectivity so we have the right dialogue, and that it is in the right place and in the right time,” Locklear said. “And we are doing that.”

Speaking last week with American Forces Press Service, Locklear noted steps in the right direction, from bilateral meetings between U.S. and Chinese military leaders to port visits by both navies’ ships.

The next major development, to take place in May, will be China’s participation in the Rim of the Pacific, the world’s largest multinational maritime exercise. This represents a big commitment from China, Locklear said, because Chinese ships will operate alongside other allied and partner navies and under U.S. command and control.

“It will give them the opportunity to see and be seen in a multilateral light that will be beneficial to security environment as we go ahead,” he said. “It sort of puts them out with the rest of the team [and] lets them be part of that team.”

Ultimately, developing a strong U.S.-China military-to-military relationship will take time, Locklear recognized.

As China continues to rise as a regional and global power, he said, in some respects its leaders feel “they are entering a security environment and a world order environment where they didn’t get to set the rules – some of those rules they don’t agree with.”

“If they choose a path of coercion to solve [that], I think that will be disastrous,” he said.

But with a role in encouraging North Korea to eliminate its nuclear-weapons program, Locklear said, China has the opportunity to be a leader in promoting security, economic growth and stability across the region.

The big question moving forward will be whether China chooses to be a “net user or net provider of security,” he said. “We hope it will be a net provider, and I think there is potential for that to happen.”

DOD celebrates National Native American Heritage Month

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

In a joint interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Joe Sarcinella, DOD's senior advisor and liaison for Native American Affairs, discussed the department's efforts to recognize Native Americans and their contributions to the country dating back to Revolutionary War.

"DOD is really committed to celebrating all sorts of diversity - race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation," Sarcinella said. "I really feel that they're leading the charge and November just happens to be that time of the year when we can focus on Native Americans."

In addition to his senior advisor duties, Sarcinella manages the Native American Lands and Environment Mitigation program, which deals with cleanup of DOD activities on tribal lands and other treaty lands.

"I'm also the lead trainer," he said. "I'm in charge of managing American Indian Cultural Communication Course and the Native Hawaiian Cultural Communication Course as well where I go ... instruct DOD personnel ... as how to consult with indigenous people."

Sarcinella said he also leads outreach for tribal people. "I interface with all of the federal departments and agencies on interagency collaboration and working with Native American governments."
Native American Heritage Month "is an opportunity for the department to recognize that contribution and the rich cultures that there are," Sarcinella said. "There are 566 federally recognized tribes throughout the lower 48 [states] and Alaska."

Sarcinella said the theme of this year's observance is: "Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Tradition."

Many people don't realize that the Indian Wars were fought "all the way through the late 1800s," he said. "But actually, [some American Indian] tribes were fighting right alongside colonials during the Revolutionary War."

Many people today, he said, are aware of the important contributions made by the Navaho code talkers' in the Pacific campaign during World War II, and Sarcinella said he believes Native Americans and Alaskan natives now have the highest per capita rate of military service of any ethnic group throughout the U.S. He noted that Native Americans and Alaska natives make up almost 16,000 members of the active force, and that nearly 160,000 others are veterans.

"In 2008, President [George W.] Bush posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to Woodrow Wilson Keeble, who was a Sisseton Wahpeton tribal member from Lake Traverse Sioux, and that was for his valor during the Korean War," Sarcinella said.

In addition, there are about 6,000 Native American DOD civilian employees.

Native Americans may constitute "a small part of the population, but we contribute a lot," Sarcinella said.

The Defense Department also wants to increase those numbers through outreach.

"The Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity - they do a lot of outreach with different professional organizations."

Sarcinella also spoke of DOD's outreach efforts with the American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society, and SAIGE - the Society of American Indian Government Employees.

"University outreach is a big one too," he said. "Reaching out to different tribal conferences and gatherings, like [the] National Conference of American Indians."

Sarcinella noted that President Barack Obama created the White House Council on Native American Affairs, and DOD submitted its list of goals to increase outreach and partnerships with Native American governments.

"It's a new angle that DOD is taking," he said. "It's not so much consulting with tribes but actually considering creating ongoing relationships with them. It's really an exciting time right now."
Sarcinella said the best thing Native Americans and Alaska natives can do for themselves is "professional development and education."

"Education is a huge priority in Indian country," he said. "With that education, and trying to give yourself newer opportunities and develop those skill sets that you have, there's a great amount of opportunity at DOD."

Afghanistan-deployed Airmen Move People, Cargo

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Stephenie Wade

455th Air Expeditionary Wing

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2013 – The mission of the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron is to move passengers and cargo in and out of Afghanistan.

On Camp Marmal adjacent to Forward Operating Base Mazar-E-Sharif and the city’s airport, 16 airmen assigned to the 455th EAPS detachment perform a variety of daily tasks to include passenger services, special handling, ramp services and working the air terminal’s operations center.

The detachment moves more than 2,600 tons of cargo and 2,200 personnel each month.

"We are not as busy as our counterparts on Bagram Airfield, but we process anywhere from one to 10 missions a day between the day and night shifts," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Garrett Ingram, a 455th EAPS aerial port specialist deployed from Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and a native of San Marcos, Calif.

When a plane arrives, the airmen ensure it is safely parked on the ramp and then escort passengers off.

Afterward, an airman unloads cargo, which can include pallets or vehicles. The EAPS personnel also upload cargo.

A big part of the 455 EAPS’s mission is integrating with joint forces to move people and cargo, said Air Force Senior Airman James Harrison, a 455th EAPS aerial port journeyman from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.

"We support all the forces on Mazar-E-Sharif," said Harrison, who also hails from Charleston. "We have moved cargo for the Germans, Turkish [troops] and all the U.S. service members -- even Coast Guard.

“Our mission here is important,” he added, “because items don't really get moved without us."

WWII veterans receive medal

by Airman 1st Class Ashlin Federick
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

10/30/2013 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del.  -- World War II veterans from the 39th, 40th, 41st and 46th Troop Carrier Squadrons received a medal honoring their service Oct. 18, 2013, at the Air Mobility Command Museum here.

These four squadrons served under the WWII 317th Troop Carrier Group and were known as the "Jungle Skippers" serving in the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations.

Linda Waldman, daughter of Herb Waldman, accepted the medal on behalf of her father who served as a pilot and commander in the 41st Troop Carrier Squadron. Herb Waldman retired with the rank of colonel after 30 years of service in the Air Force.

"I wish he could be here and it means a lot for me to be here," said Waldman. "This event is a wonderful remembrance for the veterans of the 317th and a time for them to get together and continue the history."

Presenting the medals to the veterans were pilots from the 436th Airlift Wing.

Capt. Jared Leese, 3rd Airlift Squadron pilot, said he was truly honored to get the opportunity to present the medals to the veterans of WWII.

"It is very important to recognize the WWII generation's accomplishments," said Leese. "They really set the foundation of what the Air Force is today so we really owe them as much as we can do for them."

"It is my duty as a pararescueman to save life..."

by Airman 1st Class Betty R. Chevalier
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/30/2013 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.  -- Eight Airmen from the 48th Rescue Squadron at D-M were first responders on a 19 vehicle accident involving more than 20 people on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak, Ariz., Oct. 29, 2013.

Six pararescueman, a combat rescue officer and a communications specialist were driving through a dust storm with reduced visibility after jump training in Eloy, Ariz. when they drove by the accident.

"We were driving down Frontage Road when we saw the pile-up," said Caleb, 48th Rescue Squadron combat rescue officer. "We noticed there were police on either end, but no emergency, medical or rescue services at the crash site."

The Airmen witnessed an individual from the accident walk down the hill from the freeway and then fall down. They consulted with each other and made the decision to turn around and offer their assistance.

When they pulled over to the side of the road, they talked to a sheriff. Lucas, 48th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, identified himself as a U.S. Air Force pararescueman with seven paramedics and asked if the sheriff needed help.

"The sheriff said 'Right now, I got three dead and five critical, help as fast as you can,'" Lucas said. "At that point, we completely unloaded both of our vehicles."

They suited up with helmets, goggles and gloves and headed into the scene with what medical gear they had. The first thing they noticed was fuel leaking onto the road and under vehicles.

"We immediately noticed three or four vehicles with trapped personnel," said Caleb. "We assessed them and their situations and started getting people out using basic tools and equipment."

With the Airmen being some of the first on scene, they improvised with knives, crowbars and any other objects they could locate to extract people from their vehicles.

They were on scene about 15 minutes before emergency medical services arrived and 30 minutes before heavy extrication equipment showed up.

They triaged, splinted and provided medical care to more than 20 individuals at the crash scene. Additionally, they provided emotional support to patients.

If you find something that will bring a patient comfort, give it to them, said Lucas. Even just going back and asking 'How are you doing Stanley?' brought them comfort simply because their name was not forgotten.

The Airmen extracted five people from vehicles, coordinated four medical helicopter flights, and organized ground transportation for about six injured individuals.

After the critically injured were transported off scene, the Airmen collected all of their gear, ensured EMS no longer needed their services and continued back to D-M.

Four of the pararescuemen were right out of initial training and had never responded to a real-world situation like this before.

"I'm a Department of Training instructor," Lucas said. "The fact these Airmen just rolled in and got it done, it's a great feeling to know they are new and they accomplished something like this. It shows them how they can make a difference."

All the Airmen credited their training and experience in allowing them to keep calm and render aid in conjunction with the other authorities at the scene.

"You do all these medical scenarios and train so much, sometimes you wonder, 'Am I going to know what's right?'" said Dan, 48th Rescue Squadron pararescueman. "When you get in there and start doing it for real, all your training pays off."