Head of Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Receives Award

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The National Security Education Program (NSEP) recognized a senior Navy civilian with their 2015 Spirit of Service Award for advancing their core mission of strengthening foreign language skills and international expertise in the national security community, Feb. 25.

Lee Johnson, head of Navy's Language, Regional Expertise and Culture (LREC) office, is being recognized by the Boren Forum for his role in "ensuring that Asia Pacific regional expertise is codified and valued within the United States Navy, through the development of a new additional qualification designator (AQD)", wrote the forum's president Yenal Kucuker in a recent letter. The award was presented during the Boren Forum open house reception at the Hillyer Gallery in Washington, D.C.

"I phoned a Defense Department colleague who is very familiar with the Boren Forum to have him confirm I understood correctly the intent of the letter informing me of the award. Of course, I did grasp the contents correctly, yet I remain surprised at having been selected. Several of its alumni work in national security related agencies and clearly their knowledge and understanding of the importance of language and culture skills to our nation's defense posture helps highlight the value of those skills within Navy," said Johnson.

Johnson, a 1973 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy served in the Navy for 31 years on active duty retiring at the rank of captain in 2004. He's served the Navy as a civilian for the last ten years and has been the head of LREC since 2007.

Kucuker wrote Johnson's work "ensures that our military forces will be better equipped to navigate the cultural and diplomatic arena and directly enhances our ability to develop partnerships that underline our national security architecture. We recognize this contribution to developing a cadre of regional and linguistic experts as something that aligns with the NSEP mission and spirit and we want to acknowledge this exciting initiative."

NSEP was created by the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 to develop a much-needed strategic partnership between the national security community and higher education, addressing the national need for experts in critical languages and regions.

The Boren Forum is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the educational, social, and career development of NSEP award recipients and the enhancement and expansion of public service opportunities through partnerships among alumni and other organizations.

Past recipients of the Boren Forum Spirit of Service Award include former NSEP Director Robert Slater, former Congressman Daniel Boren, Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency David Shedd, and U.S. Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt.

Navy Aviation Electronic Attack Squadron Participates in Cope North

By Tanya M. Champaco Mendiola, U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas, Public Affairs

YIGO, Guam (NNS) -- Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135 is participating in the two-week Cope North 2015 Exercise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 16-27.

Cope North is a multilateral training exercise conducted annually. This year's Cope North brings U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard units together with service members from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

For the past week, VAQ-135 maintenance personnel have shared a flight hangar with members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The shared space has facilitated collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese units.

"It's a great experience," said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Isaiha Williams, a VAQ-135 plane captain. "They ask us questions and we ask them questions. We get to see how other people work. For instance, the Japanese personnel pay great attention to detail just like we do. It's great to know that others work as hard as we do."

VAQ-135 sent a detachment of about 100 personnel to participate with U.S. Pacific Forces in Cope North 2015, said Lt. Jason Smith, VAQ-135 public affairs officer.

"(Cope North) is a chance to bring various forces together," said VAQ-135 Commanding Officer Cmdr. David Moore. "This gives us a chance to become familiar with their capabilities, so if we ever have to fight together with them - and hopefully we don't - we'll be ready."

Exercises like Cope North are important training evolutions that allow service members to increase their readiness posture while collaborating with coalition forces.

"In the modern world, very little is accomplished alone; we are more effective when we work with our allies," Smith said. "We can learn from each other and improve our skills collectively at this exercise."

VAQ-135's aircrew have conducted multiple exercises daily near Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The training enhances their ability to be a mobile unit ready to fight anywhere, Smith said.

VAQ-135, known as the "Black Ravens," is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. The squadron operates the EA-18G "Growler" aircraft, an electronic attack platform. Mission sets include integration with military assets that require support in the suppression of enemy air defenses.

4th SFS pioneers ACC training program

by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/2/2015 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The Air Force has put a premium on innovation symbolized by the Airmen powered by innovation initiative.

The 4th Security Forces Squadron took that idea seriously and pioneered the first fully functional range training complex in Air Combat Command - now the standard to which security forces training is measured.

Andy Anderson, 4th SFS lead security forces instructor, said he noticed a need for an improved training environment and set out to revolutionize training for the 4th SFS Airmen.

"We used to train in our squadron building," Anderson said. "It just wasn't realistic training. We wanted the Airmen to be able to deal with a person in training like they would in the real world. That's why we decided to build a facility specifically for training."

In 2013, Anderson used the squadron's end-of-year funds to build the shoot house, the first stage of the evolving range complex. Its features set the stage for a more accurate training environment that allows Airmen to respond to numerous simulated scenarios in the same manner they would respond in real life.

"Any building they might have to go into can be duplicated there: long hallways like the commissary, base Exchange or med group (4th Medical Group); stairwells for the 4th Mission Support Group and 4th Fighter Wing Headquarters," Anderson said. "We can't just go up to the wing commander's office and bust his door in during an exercise, but our training facility allows us to practice that and any other scenario we can think of."

Col. Erik Rundquist, Headquarters ACC director of security forces, visited the 4th SFS in 2014. According to Anderson, Rundquist was impressed with the potential of the squadron-built training facility.

"When Colonel Rundquist saw our training facility, he took all my drawings, pictures and plans, compiled everything and sent it to every other ACC base, so they could benchmark off of us," Anderson said. "He has completely bought in to the effectiveness of our range facility, making a multi-million dollar purchase to get one at every ACC base. It started here, just for us to improve our training, and it's taken off, already spanning ACC-wide, and pushing out to possibly become an Air Force-wide initiative."

Now, everything that's in Air Force training facilities is designed around our facility, Anderson said.

The wood-framed building features a breaching door, inspector catwalk and a movable wall system that changes the interior layout to fit training requirements.

Recently, the range expanded to include two metal, sea-land container buildings, which feature two-story construction, interior stairwells and balconies. According to Anderson, the new buildings have improved training by simulating the conditions defenders may face every day on this installation.

Also included in the facility is an ammunition issue point capable of issuing weapons and ammunition, and a shoot-move-communicate range, which allows Airmen to practice tactical movements, providing cover and advancing.

Good training requires instruction and evaluation, Anderson said. Plans are currently underway to mount 36 closed-circuit cameras throughout the facility. The unit also has several helmet-mounted cameras to record the defender's point of view as events unfold. Instructors will watch live feeds from all angles of the training in a classroom projected for completion in the fall of 2015, and debrief the defenders about errors and competencies.

Anderson also stated realism is a key component of good training. To aid in realism, instructors dress in costumes, a public address system plays sound tracks tailored to the training scenario, and simulated gunfire mimics the thick of battle. Simply changing the costumes and sounds played changes the perceived location to one of multiple foreign or local locations.

Currently, the 6-acre facility accommodates monthly training for all security forces members and is open for small unit training any time of the day or night.

"Before, all we had was classroom training," Anderson said. "Nobody liked it, and it really wasn't good training. Now, when we go out to the training facility, sometimes I need to tell them to leave. Now, they want to be there."

Senior Airman Daniel Shores, 4th SFS patrolman, said the training has been greatly beneficial to him since the facility was built added to this sentiment.

"I can't even remember what training was like before the shoot house," Shores said. "I have always felt confident doing my job protecting this base and its assets, but now I feel a lot more proficient. I can see the benefit of training, and it's fun to get out there and clear houses and run through scenarios in a realistic environment."

The training facility also accommodates 4th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal members, and has drawn the interest of several local law enforcement agencies. Anderson said organizations as far away as Raleigh and Wake Forest have expressed interest in training with 4th SFS Airmen.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Celebrates Navy Reserve Centennial Anniversary

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Furey, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations (NNS) -- For the past 100 years Reserve Sailors have served as a critical part of our Navy, providing a surge force in the event of a crisis, acting as a reliable source to augment existing staff for major exercises and operations.

Together, Reserve and active duty Sailors are fully integrated, truly representing a one team one fight spirit. There's never a better time to recognize the need for Reservist in our force than now, the Navy Reserve Centennial celebration.

The United States Navy Reserve, established March 3, 1915, was originally the effort of former Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant Franklin D. Roosevelt. That same year, the 1915 Naval Appropriations Act created the Navy Reserve.

By the end of World War I, nearly 60,000 Reserve Sailors had been mobilized and through World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars, the Navy Reserve has continued to answer every call. In fact more than 65,000 Reserve Sailors have been mobilized since 9/11.

Here in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) area of operations (AOO), individual Reserve Sailors, Reserve unit commanding officers, operational support officers and Navy Operation Support Centers all work together with supporting units to determine mission requirements to better match manpower resources with availability, allowing Reserve Sailors to integrate seamlessly with active duty components.

"The active duty side of NAVCENT sets the Reserve requirements and has always been extremely involved in doing so," said Capt. Samual D. Pontier, NAVCENT, operational support officer. "This ensures Reservists are gainfully employed when they come here to the area of operations and are properly trained in the positions that needs to be filled, which ultimately ensures the mission is accomplished."

Reserve Sailors may serve from only a few weeks a year up to full-time support. This can prove challenging for the individual Sailor due to civilian job and family responsibilities.

"Unique to the Reserves is their civilian job and family, that's often not apparent on the active side," said Rear Adm. Luke M. McCollum, vice commander, NAVCENT. "Every time that I'm with a group of Navy Reservists, I always ask how many of them had to say no to a family obligation to be here. Almost half of them always raise their hand. We try to recognize the families back home when there are short notice call-ups to make sure that they feel like they are part of service."

In an active area like NAVCENT's AOO, continuity is key in achieving the mission. With many active duty Sailors only serving one to two year tours, turnover rate is high which means that information may not get passed to incoming personnel. That is where the nearly 200 reservists in Bahrain and more than 400 total reservists in the AOO come into play.

"The Reserves brings multiple years of continuity to operations in the NAVCENT area of operations," said McCollum. "They are able to come in and provide continuity during times of turnover and they are also able to augment manpower during large exercises like the recently completed International Mine Countermeasures Exercise."

Another advantage that the Reserves add to the fleet is the ability to implement their civilian working knowledge seamlessly into the active duty side of the Navy. Reservists diversify and broaden the ways we do things in our force. In fact, many reservists have graduate-level educations, some are senior executives in a fortune 500 company and some even run their own businesses.

"We, in the Reserve component, are completely indistinguishable from the active duty Sailors. We are embedded in our commands, executing the same duties and responsibilities as our active counterparts," said Capt. Richard Henderson, chief of staff, Task Force - Individual Augmentee. "We are trained military professionals ready to answer the nation's need when called upon. We also bring professional expertise from a wide spectrum of civilian occupations that broadens perspectives in accomplishing the COMUSNAVCENT mission."

Reserve Sailors assist in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO in many different aspects such as cyber warfare, public affairs support and medical assistance, to name a few. They excel alongside their active duty counterparts.

"We have Reservists who provide highly specialized medical care for joint U.S. service members, Afghan locals and Coalition," said Yeoman Senior Chief Desiree S. Hayes, NAVCENT, CTF-IA senior enlisted leader. "Their good work yielded the highest combat injury survival rate in modern warfare history at 98 percent."

"This is a great time to reflect on the 100 years of contribution from the Navy Reserve," said McCollum. "Even after things settle down in this area, they may escalate in another but we know we are able to deploy and place our Reserve components with active duty forces wherever the fight may need to be held."

The centennial anniversary of the Navy Reserves gives us the opportunity to look back on the accomplishments of the past and reflect on how they have added so much value to our service.

WWII pilot reunited with P-47

by Senior Airman Jensen Stidham
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/1/2015 - Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. -- Sitting in a wheelchair with airplanes on his shirt and a U.S. Army Air Corp hat on his head, 92-year-old retired Air National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Hertel was reunited with the P-47 Thunderbolt during the Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., February 28.

After being wheeled out to the flight line, Hertel was greeted by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, Commander of Air Combat Command, Charles Hainline and Tom Gregory, both P-47 Thunderbolt Heritage Flight pilots.

Hertel flew the legendary Thunderbolt while stationed in Iwo Jima, Japan during World War II and had not seen the aircraft since retiring from the military in the 1960's.

"When I found out it was going to be here I just had to bring him," said Hertel's daughter Peggy Hertel. "It's been his dream for so long to see one again."

Although he does not remember a lot of his past, there is one thing that has stayed clear in his memory.

"He has always remembered his airplanes," said Peggy. "I think he was thinking he was going to get in and fly it."

Hertel smiled and laughed as he was wheeled around the aircraft, stopping to reach out with his war-fought hands to touch his old friend.

Just as seeing the aircraft was exciting for the veteran, Gen. Carlisle and the P-47 pilots were in for a treat as well.

"I brought some of his pictures and log book, everybody wants to see the log book," said Peggy. "It shows some of the bombing flights that he went on and firefights and even has a couple of tourist tours that he flew. It's quite a bit of history to see."

The P-47 pilots ended WWII with 3,752 air-to-air kills while flying more than 423,000 sorties.

"Thanks for making us the greatest Air Force in the world," Gen. Carlisle told Hertel. "You are a part of our heritage. We wouldn't be where we are at if it wasn't for people like you that set us up for success."

Hertel left the aircraft with an ACC commander's coin, P-47 patch, and Heritage Flight memorabilia to remember the day he was finally reunited with his old pal.

"I am just really glad that I was able to bring him here and that everybody has been so kind with showing the plane and talking to him," said Peggy.