U.S. Responds to French Request for Airlift Support

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2013 – In response to a request from France, the U.S. military will provide airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement released today.

Woog’s statement reads as follows:

Last evening in Kabul, Secretary Hagel spoke with French Minister of Defense Yves Le Drian about the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), where, under the authority of a UN Security Council Resolution, French forces are assisting the African Union-led international support mission to provide humanitarian assistance and establish an environment that supports a political transition to a democratically elected government.

Minister Le Drian requested limited assistance from the United States military to support this international effort. In the near term, France has requested airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic.

In response to this request, Secretary Hagel has directed U.S. AFRICOM to begin transporting forces from Burundi to the Central African Republic, in coordination with France.

The United States is joining the international community in this effort because of our belief that immediate action is required to avert a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in the Central African Republic, and because of our interest in peace and security in the region. We continue to work to identify additional resources that might be available to help address further requests for assistance to support the international community’s efforts in CAR.

Afghanistan Air Vet Earns Prestigious Award

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Lealan C. Buehrer

182nd Airlift Wing

PEORIA, Ill., Dec. 9, 2013 – A C-130 Hercules aircraft loadmaster with the 169th Airlift Squadron received the Staff Sgt. Henry E. "Red" Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Member Airman of the Year Award during a Dec. 8 ceremony here.

"It's pretty much a major surprise. I didn't believe it," Air Force Senior Airman Ryan J. Lane, an Afghanistan veteran, said upon receiving the award.

Lane was presented the award by Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Steven J. Pyszka, the National Guard Bureau’s career enlisted aviator career field manager.

"For us, it is the most prestigious award that we can give out," Pyszka said. "And for Airman Lane, who is going to win that today, he had to compete against 3,000 other career enlisted aviators in the Air National Guard."

The award nominees were evaluated by their outstanding accomplishments, leadership traits that impacted the mission, and self-improvement in areas such as education and training.

Lane was selected for the award, in part, for his role in successfully completing 97 combat sorties that airdropped 48,384 pounds of supplies, delivered 153 tons of cargo and transported 1,690 passengers in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was also recognized as an airman who is a team player and a self-motivated, detail-oriented learner capable of handling mission-vital tasks.

Pyszka said that accomplishment of the nominees' missions relates to adhering to the Air Force’s core values.

"You have to have that integrity because five other crewmembers on that airplane are counting on that person to do their job," he said. "If you're not performing your job at an excellent level, every time you go out there you're putting five other people in danger, and if you're carrying passengers you're putting that whole entire aircraft in danger, too."

Protecting lives is what inspired the creation of the award, named after Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. Henry E. Erwin. Erwin was a B-29 Superfortress radio operator during World War II whose heroism saved his aircraft and fellow crewmembers during a mission on April 12, 1945.

A smoke bomb prematurely ignited inside the aircraft during an attack on a Japanese chemical plant, filling the aircraft with smoke and burning phosphorous. Erwin, although blinded by the phosphorous, picked up the burning ordnance and threw it off the plane. Doing so allowed the pilot to pull up the aircraft merely 300 feet from the ground.

Erwin suffered burns to his face and body so severe that he wasn't expected to live. However, he did survive and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

"What that exemplifies -- for what he did to actually get that award started -- to pass that on to our other enlisted aviators is a really huge benefit," Pyszka said. "It's something that we shouldn't take lightly and nobody does."

Airman's past inspires excellence

by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/9/2013 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- While many Airmen end up joining the U.S. Air Force for educational benefits, few start their journey "into the blue" from as far away as a war torn West African nation.

Airman 1st Class Tamba Benjamin-Pabie, 2nd Comptroller Squadron, was born in Liberia during a period of civil war between the Liberian government and rebel factions.

Eventually, he would join the Air Force in an effort to complete his education.

As an infant, however, war would tear his family apart.

"We fled from the war into a neighboring country, Sierra Leone, when I was about five months old," said Benjamin-Pabie. "During that time, my mom had become separated from my dad because of the war."

Continuing to flee the death and destruction, his family then fled into Guinea before coming to America.

"During that time, my siblings had migrated to America," he said. "When I was nine years-old, they sent for us and, through them, we were able to come to America."

Upon settling in America, Benjamin-Pabie was enrolled in a public school in Rhode Island.

"I graduated high school in 2008 and started college during the [summer] semester," Benjamin-Pabie said. "I began classes in mechanical engineering for a year. Then after a semester, because I had little money, I dropped out and went to a community college for a semester."

After attending a semester of community college, Benjamin-Pabie again dropped out because of dwindling resources.

"That's when I decided to join the Air Force," he said. "The Air Force, so far, has given me a new environment, and it's definitely a disciplined environment."

Now, Benjamin-Pabie processes vouchers for temporary duty assignments and permanent changes of station for Barksdale Airmen.

"Airman Benjamin-Pabie is detail oriented, which is important to have in the financial services flight," said Staff Sgt. Felicia Logsdon, 2nd CPTS financial services supervisor. "He also motivates others and their physical fitness to get the job done."

While Benjamin-Pabie continues his military career, his siblings have given him nieces and nephews.

"They're growing up and seeing the type of lifestyle I'm in right now," he said. "The military and discipline, the work and how it matures a person. They see me involved in that type of lifestyle and hopefully they'll take a full step [in joining the military] like I did."

Another achievement Benjamin-Pabie has accomplished is to become an Iron Airman, Barksdale's most difficult fitness accomplishment.

"I've always been fitness-minded," he said. "I love to challenge myself and go beyond things other people don't do or are not capable of doing."

Having trained in football, track, wrestling and boxing, Benjamin-Pabie is glad his physical prowess has benefited him in the military.

"I was able to help other Airmen get a higher score on their PT test," he said. "I always tell people anything is possible."

Since joining the military, Benjamin-Pabie feels the people he's met have become like a second family.

"I don't feel completely alone because I've met some good friends and co-workers here who help me through the tough times," he said.

Outside of the military, Benjamin-Pabie has a personal goal.

"There are children who have lost parents and lost families," he said. "I definitely want to help them out as well."

Hill maintenance officer breaks Utah weight lifting record

by Senior Airman Crystal Charriere
419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/9/2013 - HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Maj. Eileen Frock, an aircraft maintenance officer in the 419th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, took home first place for her age and weight division at the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters Competition in November.

"I didn't think I'd get to achieve this goal because it's the World Competition, but my teammates and trainers motivated me," Frock said. "I couldn't have done this on my own."

She benched 127 pounds and deadlifted 276.68 pounds, breaking a five-year state record.

"To break the state record that's been there since 2008 was incredible," Frock said. "I was pretty excited."

Frock also started a training regimen to compete in her first bodybuilding competition in April.

Hagel Meets With Senior Saudi Officials

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with senior Saudi officials during a visit to Saudi Arabia today, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement.

Woog’s statement reads as follows:

“This evening, Secretary Hagel visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to meet with the Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“Secretary Hagel and the Crown Prince, who serves as the Minister of Defense, agreed that the United States and Saudi Arabia are firmly committed to their strong defense relationship and discussed the mutual goal of achieving security and stability in the region.

“Secretary Hagel conveyed that the United States is fully committed to its security partnership with Saudi Arabia and seeks to deepen its cooperation even further. They discussed Iran, in the context of the recently concluded Joint Action Plan with the P5+1. Secretary Hagel underscored the United States commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and maintaining a strong American defense presence in the region.

“Secretary Hagel also discussed the proposals he announced at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, in particular to hold a U.S.-GCC Defense Ministerial meeting in the region within the next six months.

“Prior to his meeting with the Crown Prince, Secretary Hagel met with Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Salman bin Sultan. They discussed a number of regional issues including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secretary Hagel invited him to visit the United States early next year to meet with senior U.S. military leaders.”

Also, according to a senior U.S. defense official traveling with Hagel, the Crown Prince conveyed to Hagel that his second Gulf tour and second visit to Saudi Arabia comes at just the right time, noting that he is leaving tomorrow for Kuwait to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council Ministers meeting and will convey their discussions.

Hagel was told his assurances are well received and that the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia is as strong as ever, the senior official said.

Hagel’s visit to Saudi Arabia, the senior official said, came at the personal direction of President Barack Obama to convey that the United States will continue planning for all options to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, in the event Iran fails to live up to its commitments.

For Hagel, this trip is second step in a series of engagements with Gulf partners to increase regional cooperation, the first being Hagel's meeting with GCC Defense Ministers at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, the senior defense official said.

The United States is planning that the U.S.-Defense Ministers meeting in the region within the next six months will be the third step, the senior defense official said.

Airman Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, has been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Air Force Col. Francis J. McGouldrick Jr. of New Haven, Conn., will be buried Dec. 13, at Arlington National Cemetery.  On Dec. 13, 1968, McGouldrick was on a night strike mission when his B-57E Canberra aircraft collided with another aircraft over Savannakhet Province, Laos.  McGouldrick was never seen again and was listed as missing in action.

After the war in July 1978, a military review board amended his official status from missing in action to presumed killed in action.

Between 1993 and 2004, joint U.S/Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams attempted to locate the crash site with no success.  On April 8, 2007, a joint team located a possible crash site near the village of Keng Keuk, Laos.

From October 2011 to May 2012, joint U.S./L.P.D.R. teams excavated the site three times and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage consistence with a B-57E aircraft.

In the identification of McGouldrick, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA – which matched McGouldrick’s great nephew and niece.

Today there are 1,644 American service members that are still unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. 

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

DOD officials order disability board results review

By Janis El Shabazz, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- Some Airmen who met a medical or physical disability evaluation board between Sept. 11, 2001 and April 30, 2012 prior to separating from the Air Force may be eligible for re-evaluation, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

When defense officials learned some diagnoses had been changed during board processing between 2001 and 2012, the secretary of defense called for a department-wide review of mental health diagnoses for members who met evaluation boards between the affected dates.

The Air Force review identified 250 eligible Airmen whose mental health diagnoses changed during the disability evaluation process. A mass mail-out effort to ensure those Airmen were aware of the opportunity to be re-evaluated elicited 31 responses.

To ensure all eligible Airmen receive and respond to the notification letter, the under secretary of defense has requested a second mailing be initiated by Dec. 31, with a required media engagement to precede the mail out.

Service members who have received a notification letter are encouraged to respond as stated in the letter. For information concerning the Department of Defense Physical Disability Board of Review, go to the PDBR website at http://www.health.mil/PDBR. or email PDBR at PDBRPA@afncr.af.mil.