Navy Aircraft Carrier Moves Underscore Pacific Rebalance Strategy

By From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy announced today that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) will replace USS George Washington (CVN 73) in Japan and become part of the U.S. 7th Fleet forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) in Yokosuka, Japan. As part of the rebalance strategy to increase the Navy's presence in the Pacific Fleet, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) will move from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego.

Theodore Roosevelt will serve as a U.S. 3rd Fleet rotational carrier allowing Ronald Reagan to depart her current homeport in San Diego and proceed to Yokosuka. George Washington will depart Japan and proceed to Virginia in preparation for its mid-life refueling complex overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding, Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Specific timelines will be announced separately, closer to the actual movement of the carriers.

The United States values Japan's contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Asia-Pacific and its long-term commitment and hospitality in hosting U.S. forces forward deployed there. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities needed by the alliance to meet our common strategic objectives.

The security environment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific requires that the U.S. Navy station the most capable ships forward. This posture allows the most rapid response times possible for maritime and joint forces, and brings our most capable ships with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability to bear in the timeliest manner.

The ship rotation will not necessitate a change in the assigned air wing, nor in the composition of the air wing. Carrier Air Wing Five will remain the forward-deployed air wing located at Naval Air Facility Atsugi. This ship rotation also does not necessitate any changes to base facilities in either San Diego or Yokosuka.

In 2008, George Washington was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier sent to Japan as part of the FDNF. Maintaining an FDNF capability supports the United States' commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the vital Indo-Asia-Pacific.

Lajes Post Office wins 2013 Information Dominance Air Force award

by Staff Sgt. Angelique N. Smythe
65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

1/13/2014 - LAJES FIELD, Azores -- The 65th Communications Squadron Postal Service team was recently awarded the Information Dominance Air Force Outstanding Small Postal Facility Award for 2013.

"This award recognizes military post offices for superior performance and professional excellence while managing and providing a full range of post office services to the base populace and whose contributions most improved Air Force postal services operations," said Maj. Jennifer Carns, 65th CS commander.

Prior to receiving this Air Force award, the Lajes Post Office seized the information dominance title at the U.S. Air Forces Europe level four times within five years.

In their nomination package, this small team was described as superior in their ability to promptly and accurately support Lajes' 1,600 personnel and process 569,000lbs of mail throughout the year.

"Our mission is to provide outstanding postal service for the 65th Air Base Wing and to the Lajes Field community," said Tech. Sgt. Stephen McCool, 65th CS postmaster.

McCool and his team oversee the receiving and dispatching of USPS and Military Postal Service mail. They provide official mail services to 24 Lajes units as well as assist all customers with mail, stamps and money order transactions.

"My Airmen's motivation to get the job done and their ability to adapt and improvise is second to none," McCool said. "We understand our mission is the mail. On days we receive mail, we develop a plan of 'attack' to process the mail as quickly and correctly as possible. There are always situations which may alter our original plan, but everyone here is adaptable and quick to resolve any issues to get the mission done."

McCool currently supervises three U.S. military personnel and four Portuguese local nationals.

"Our local nationals are the foundation of this great team," he said. "They provide the continuity to the military personnel who are regularly rotated in and out. Winning this award would not be possible without them."

Mail arrives on Lajes twice a week. The postal service team members pick up all their mail from the Air Mobility Squadron. There, they strategically load their truck to limit the amount of trips needed back to the post office. After unloading the truck at the post office, last names and P.O. Box numbers are written on each package. The packages are then sent down a conveyer belt for sorting. All packages are scanned in as "arrivals" before being placed on shelves. Official mail, letters, magazines and yellow slips notifying customers of their packages are then pitched into mailboxes. Packages for those who've moved on from Lajes are processed in the directory section before being rerouted to their correct locations.

"We work as a team to get things done in a timely manner," said Staff Sgt. Keundra Gibson, 65th CS custodian of postal effects.

As the custodian of postal effects, Gibson accounts for all finance clerks and tracks all transactions and deposits made by the post office.

"We also reach out to volunteers on base to help process and distribute mail," said Gibson.

Gibson serves as the volunteer monitor for all military members, dependents and civilians who provide weekly assistance to the Lajes Post Office. The postal service team said they greatly appreciate these volunteers, especially during the holidays when incoming and outgoing mail increase significantly.

"Our volunteers' consistency in devoting their time to helping us each week has impressed me throughout my tour here at Lajes," said McCool. "They are a great help. During the holiday season, they helped us process close to 70,000lbs of mail."

The post office had a total of 429 volunteers throughout 2013.

"Just about anyone can volunteer," said McCool. "They sign in and we give them training. Volunteers mainly help with processing packages and writing up mail notices for the customers. They're usually needed during our big mail day, which is Sunday. The volunteer program helps the post office deliver our customers' mail on the same day it was received, which is a great boost to morale here at Lajes."

Winning the 2013 Information Dominance Air Force Outstanding Small Postal Facility Award greatly boosted the morale of Lajes' postal service workers.

"This award has justified all the long and tough days at work," McCool said. "Everyone here is still trying to wrap their heads around this accomplishment. This recognition has boosted our morale and increased our motivation to continue to be great at what we do."

"This is an amazing accomplishment, and we are very thankful," Gibson said.

Colorado Airmen add Africa to airlift mission set

from 52nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

1/10/2014 - CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- The Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing deployed in support of U.S. AFRICOM as the 52nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and stood up operations at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Oct 1.

The 52nd EAS, supported by Airmen from the 302nd AW's 731st AS and its active duty associate unit, the 52nd AS, is charged with providing tactical airlift as part of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. CJTF-HOA's operations build partnerships and supports development initiatives in an effort to promote regional security and prevent violent extremist activity.

"The 302nd AW was instrumental in pioneering airlift operations in AFRICOM," said Col. Kurt Jones, commander of the 302nd Operations Group. "This [52nd EAS] was the first EAS to be stood up in support of AFRICOM," he added.

The 52nd EAS is strategically located at Camp Lemonier to support CJTF-HOA's ability to work with partner nations, coalition forces, and interagency and intergovernmental organizations to achieve a unified effort in the region.

According to Capt. Christopher Gurrola, a 52nd EAS C-130 pilot, within hours of arriving to Camp Lemonier, the Colorado Airmen were planning and executing missions into austere locations. Gurrola said the airlift missions in Africa provided unique flight environments and new sights, to include wild herds of giraffe, camels, and baboons.

"Within the first month we had planned and conducted some of the most difficult night missions to dirt landing strips, performing combat offloads, and had flawlessly accomplished a complete engine change under the roasting African sun," he said.

"The unit arrived at Djibouti to find not much more waiting for us than a shipping container building, a couple of 'Gator' vehicles, and a place to lay their heads. That proved to be all we would need," said Gurrola.

According to Lt. Col. Jason Terry, the 52nd EAS is a critical part of the crisis response in support of U.S. military, diplomatic, and civilian personnel throughout East Africa.

"I could not be more proud of the men and women of the 52nd EAS. They have done everything asked in support of partner nation military operations against violent extremist organizations, while strengthening our East African partner nation militaries," he said. "The actions of the 52 EAS, and CJTF-HOA, protect and defend the national security interests of the United States in East Africa."

52nd EAS Airmen also volunteered their time at a local orphanage in order to bond with the Djiboutian people on a personal level. According to Terry, the 52nd EAS Airmen are most proud of the Total Force approach to this deployment as it is a 50-50 mix of  reserve and active duty Airmen.

Discussing the addition of the AFRICOM mission set to the wing's existing airlift and Modular Airborne Fire Fighting mission sets, Jones said, "This has been an opportunity for the wing to show flexibility in leadership of TFI [Total Force Integration] and increase the mission sets we can accomplish."

Camp Lemonier is a U.S. Navy led installation that operates and maintains service to meet the needs of 25 tenant commands, and facilitate operations in the Horn of Africa, while promoting positive relations between the United States and African nations.

CJTF-HOA began operations in 2002 and Camp Lemonier now supports approximately 4,000 U.S., joint and allied forces military and civilian personnel and U.S. Department of Defense contractors. Additionally, the base provides employment for approximately 100 local and third country nation workers.

Guardsmen Team Up to Tackle West Virginia Water Crisis

By Army Sgt. Anna-Marie Ward

153rd Public Affairs Detachment

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Jan. 13, 2014 – Members of the West Virginia National Guard’s chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive enhanced response force package, along with members from West Virginia, Ohio and District of Columbia civil support teams, have been working around the clock drawing water samples from across West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley to determine levels of contamination remaining in the water supply.

Hundreds of thousands of people in nine West Virginia counties are unable to use their tap water as a precaution following a chemical spill.

Soldiers, civilian chemists and West Virginia American Water employees have set up a command center at the water company’s testing plant in downtown Charleston. Defense Department officials said today that 31 Army and Air National Guardsmen on civil support teams are conducting water and air sampling operations and 485 West Virginia Army and Air National Guardsmen are on state active duty, assisting with water distribution and logistics.

“We’re running tests and compiling all of the samples,” said Army Maj. Walter Hatfield, CERF-P operations officer. “The CERF-P has been on site since [the night of Jan. 10]. Members have been analyzing samples hourly since the contamination issue first arose [the evening before].”

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that water levels must be at one part per million before a “do not use” order can be lifted, Hatfield said, adding that West Virginia American Water officials say system flushing can begin once that level has been maintained for a length of time.

The CERF-P collects the samples from various locations, Hatfield said, and the West Virginia National Guard’s 35th Civil Support Team logs them in. The CERF-P has access to three mobile analytical laboratory systems from the supporting teams.

“I think one of the high points of all of this has been being able to embed with the [civil support team],” Hatfield said, noting that the teams bring a new level of capabilities to the mission that the CERF-P does not possess.

Sampling teams continue to travel to multiple locations throughout the nine affected counties, collecting jars of water for testing. Hospitals and other businesses open their doors in the hopes that every jar of water brings them one step closer to returning to business as usual.

“We’re wondering how long until we can begin sterilizing our instruments,” said Rachel Pauley, operating room manager at the Charleston Surgical Hospital.

Soldiers in the field, such as Army Staff Sgt. David Reeves with the 35th CST, said they can offer no immediate answers, but will continue to monitor the water and work side by side with interagency partners until a solution is reached.

315 maintenance managers make education top priority

by Tech. Sgt. Shane Ellis
315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

1/13/2014 - JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. --  Every quarter maintenance managers from the 315th Airlift Wing attend specialized training here, which allows them to better perform their duties in real-world maintenance environments.

The training is conducted in house by experts in their respective fields.

Known here as "Maintenance University," the program started five years ago and includes four courses.

1. Course 101 is a basic introductory course for heavy airlift.
2. Course 201 concentrates specifically on the C-17 Globemaster III.
3. Course 301 is Boeing interfaced, which is taught by a Boeing instructor.
4. Course 401 is the 437th Maintenance Group interface, which ties in the complete Joint Base Charleston maintenance mission.

Next year will see an expansion of MX University with the introduction of course 501, which will include aerial port and logistics readiness interfaces.

Originally, MX University was aimed toward maintenance officers. As word began to spread, and benefits were seen, the class was opened up to maintenance chiefs, other senior level maintenance leaders and production superintendents.

In an effort to gain the widest dissemination of knowledge, it's common to see mid-level noncommissioned officers attending class every quarter.

According to Lt. Col. Darryl Frazier, 315th Maintenance Group deputy commander, the success of MX University is directly related to members of the 315 AW.

"Our managers want to know more about their jobs," said Frazier. "They want to know how they can do better and what they can do to continually develop their skills and knowledge."
The success of the ongoing training was seen in 2013 when 10 out of 11 unit training assemblies finished with no unscheduled broken aircraft.

"This tells me that our maintenance managers understand the importance of having our aircraft ready at any given moment," said Frazier. "Going home after a UTA with no unscheduled broken aircraft sets our active duty team members up for success when they come to work on Monday morning."

Classes can be viewed online through Global Reach, and please call DSN 963-2294 for more information.

AFSOC bases implement new, faster emergency notification system

by Raquel Sanchez
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

12/16/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- We've all heard the outside 'giant voice,' received a telephone call from the command post or seen that pop-up alert on our work computer during an emergency at one time or another. But do these methods provide instant accountability?

With the launch of the AtHoc Interactive Warning System Dec. 20 at Hurlburt Field and Cannon Air Force Base, Air Force Special Operations Command personnel will have a much faster, more reliable system at their disposal for mass emergency notifications. The new system will help align emergency notifications across the command by replacing the current systems in place at each base, said Mark Altenbernd, AFSOC command post operations chief.

The AtHoc IWS will be rolled out in two phases.

Phase one of the rollout is the alert system, which is capable of notifying personnel within minutes of an emergency from a single, centralized, web-based system.

With AtHoc IWS-Alerts, the notification is sent at the discretion of the installation commander and goes out simultaneously to all personnel through desktop pop-up alerts, e-mail, and telephone, specified by each user.

"That's one of the key things about this system that ReachPlus simply did not provide; you have instantaneous feedback that everyone has received the message," said Kevin Wilson, AFSOC communications division.

All personnel are required to "opt in" from their work computer to update their information and setup their notification preferences by using the AtHoc IWS-Alerts self service module; right click on the purple globe icon on the bottom task bar screen and select "Access Self Service."

Users are reminded to keep their information updated to receive notifications and ensure accountability during emergencies such as severe weather, a chemical spill, a terrorist incident, a base exercise, and more.

"If there is a need for a mass notification we want to be able to reach you and get an acknowledgment that you know something is going on," said Wilson.

In addition to the alerts, phase two of the AtHoc IWS rollout will involve an emergency management tool, an online database, designed to assist emergency responders with real-time updates.

"We want these tools to really help make our responders more effective and efficient in providing that situational awareness at all levels during an emergency," said Lt. Col. Mark Donnithorne, AFSOC civil engineering operations and readiness division.

AFSOC will be the first command to have this emergency management tool, which is currently being reviewed and will be available in the near future.

Cape Ray Conducts Final Sea Trials for Syria Mission

By Claudette Roulo

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2014 – The Military Sealift Command container ship MV Cape Ray left Portsmouth, Va., Jan. 10, to conduct its final sea trials in preparation for its upcoming mission to destroy Syrian chemical weapons, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said today.

During the sea trials, the crew and the Field-Deployable Hydrolysis System operators are evaluating the ship and the system at various sea states, Warren said.

“The crew conducted several training drills and assessed all systems aboard,” he said.

The ship is expected to return tomorrow for final outfitting before deploying to an as-yet undisclosed location in the Mediterranean Sea sometime late this week or early next week, Warren said.

The Cape Ray -- crewed by a mix of 35 civilian mariners, about 64 chemical specialists from the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland, a security team and representatives from U.S. European Command -- is expected to be underway for about two weeks before arriving at its destination, Warren said. Destruction of the chemical weapons is expected to take about 90 days.

The Field-Deployable Hydrolysis System was developed in response to a December 2012 request for U.S. assistance in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. It achieves a 99.9 percent destruction efficiency and converts bulk amounts of chemical warfare agents into compounds not usable as weapons.

Hagel Calls Israeli Counterpart to Express Condolences

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Israeli Defense Minister Moshe "Boogie" Yaalon this morning to offer his deepest condolences on the death of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

Sharon, 85, died Jan. 11. The former general and political leader had been in a coma since suffering a debilitating stroke in January 2006.

“Secretary Hagel praised Prime Minister Sharon as a leader who dedicated his life to defending Israel's security,” Kirby said in a statement summarizing the call. “The secretary shared with Minister Yaalon that he greatly admired the former prime minister and appreciated the strong relationship that they had formed during the secretary's time in the Senate.”

The two defense leaders reaffirmed the strength of the U.S-Israeli defense relationship, Kirby added, and pledged to continue to work closely together on the shared challenges that the United States and Israel face.