US 7th Fleet, Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian Navies Meet to Enhance Multilateral Cooperation

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua Karsten, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

CHANGI NAVAL BASE, Singapore (NNS) -- Senior navy leaders from the U.S. 7th Fleet, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI) met for a professional exchange of ideas in a variety of technical and operational topics aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) May 4 and 6.

The U.S. 7th Fleet staff first met with Singaporean navy subject matter experts for a day of discussions, or "staff talks," that included professional dialogue between the two staffs and were designed to share knowledge and develop methodologies for joint responses to any contingency within Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The talks provided a platform for partnered navies' senior leaders and subject matter experts to meet and discuss different aspects of their mission objectives and their responsibilities. The exchange included discussions of opportunities for increased multilateral engagements, exercises and information sharing to improve maritime domain awareness, crisis response, and anti-piracy operations.

"The RSN possess advanced warfighting capability, an extremely professional naval force and is a maritime leader in South East Asia. The U.S. 7th Fleet places great value on the high level training that is conducted annually with the RSN and seeks to continue to advance our relationship by increasing the complexity of our at sea exercises," said U.S. Navy Lt. Terrell Radford, U.S. 7th Fleet theater security cooperation desk officer for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. "Operational level discussions of this nature with the RSN not only offer us a forum to come together to develop ideas but also allows us to simultaneously give those ideas roots and traction. Continued interaction in this capacity will allow us to realize the shared vision for our relationship."

The U.S. 7th Fleet and Republic of Singapore Navy talks were followed two days later with a first-of-its-kind multilateral "roundtable" discussion between senior leaders from the U.S. 7th Fleet, Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean navies. U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Robert L. Thomas Jr., commander, U.S 7th Fleet; Singaporean Col. Chuen Hong Lew, commander, Republic of Singapore Fleet; Indonesian Rear Adm. Darwanto S.H., Tentara Nasional Indonesia Eastern Fleet; and Malaysian Rear Adm. Dato' Pahlawan Mior Rosdi, chief of staff for operations and exercises, Royal Malaysian Navy; and their staffs engaged face-to-face to discuss the important issues in the region and how the allied navies can increase theater security cooperation by facilitating bilateral and multilateral military interactions.

"The staff talks and the multilateral roundtable were a big success," said Radford. "Officers from all staffs brought renewed dedication and enthusiasm to the discussions which prompted meaningful dialogue and laid the groundwork for future expansion of the relationship between our navies."

The two-day visit ended with a reception aboard Blue Ridge with all four navies in participation and served as an opportunity for the U.S. 7th Fleet and the regional neighbors to speak to one another in a relaxed atmosphere further building on the close relationship in the region.

Blue Ridge and embarked staff are in Singapore conducting a port visit to build naval partnerships with the navies of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure peace and prosperity for the entire region.

F-22 crew chiefs play NASCAR with hot pit refuels

by Airman 1st Class Louis Velasco
477th Fighter Group Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

5/12/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmy Johnson and Danica Patrick are some of the most recognizable names in the world of NASCAR - even among the most casual sports fans. Drivers are front and center after a win, and deservedly so. The critical work the pit crew performs, however, is sometimes lost in the shuffle.  A vehicle can stop for refueling, new tires, repairs or simple mechanical adjustments, to name a few, and be back in the race in minutes if not seconds. That speed can mean the difference between winning and losing the race.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson has its own version of a high-speed pit crew - we call them aircraft maintainers.

"It's about efficiency," said Lt. Col. Robert Churchill, F-22 pilot from the 477th Fighter Group, "Hot-pitting is the quickest way to get the most sorties and is the key to mission combat capability."

During traditional refueling, the jet is recovered, the engines powered off, and maintainers must perform a detailed thru-flight inspection.  This includes taking an oil sample and downloading the jets computer error codes to help with maintenance troubleshooting and repair. Of course, the jet also gets fuel. This thru-flight process, which is necessary before the jet flies again, is why hot-pitting saves so much time. Because both engines are not shut down, the jet can simply be refueled and sent back on its mission, reducing down time by two to three hours per operation.

During the first weekend of May, reservists from the 477th Fighter Group, a total force integration partner with the 3rd Wing, were part of that same pit-stop concept, refueling F-22 Raptors on the go and allowing pilots from the 302nd Fighter Squadron to return to their mission with minimal delay.

Technical Sgt. Gerald Ingram, a crew chief assigned to the 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, has participated in hot pitting on multiple airframes including the F-22 Raptor, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-15 Eagle, throughout his 11-year Air Force career. Ingram said while hot pitting is a basic concept, "refueling on the go provides a faster turn-around for aircraft capabilities and is critical to returning the aircraft to its mission."

The 477th aircraft maintainers have a unique role in the Total Force Enterprise with the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.  The full time Air Reserve Technicians are working side by side throughout the week with their active duty counterparts, assuring that the mission needs are met for the 90th, 525th, and the 302nd Fighter Squadron pilots.

More than an exercise in quick response, hot pitting helps members get an up-close view of each other in action, one they might not get otherwise.

"Hot-pitting gives the pilot a chance to interact with the crew chief'" Churchill said. "When we get out there to the jet, it's all business. Sitting in the jet getting fuel gives us a chance to see how our maintenance crews are doing."

Because traditional refueling occurs after the aircraft has been recovered and is safed by a crew chief, the risk of an accident or damage to the aircraft due to refueling operations is minimal. The chance to hot-pit refuel gives maintainers more experience working around a running aircraft, said Ingram.

Home station is not the only location where this important mission training comes into play.  As the F-22 Raptor serves in foreign bases, knowing how to quickly and safely hot pit is equally important in a deployed environment.

As in most time-sensitive operations, there are dangers associated with hot pits. Being in close proximity to a running jet engine is risky, so the pilot will shut down his or her left engine - to limit any injuries resulting from an accident. Because this engine shuts down and restarts, the aircraft needs one last check before it is set to return to the skies.

"It's like a modified end-of-runway inspection, but quicker. Just one last check to make sure everything is okay," explains Ingram. Despite all the things crew chiefs need to be aware of, a typical hot-pit refuel will only take 10-12 minutes if the aircraft are staggered correctly.

Waiting in line can halt even the fastest service, which is why aircraft returning to base communicate refuel orders with the Maintenance Operations Center; this necessary step limits any bottlenecking that may occur should too many jets be waiting for fuel at the same time.

"When pilots do a forward to base check, we communicate with ground control and tower and relay information to ground maintenance'" said Master Sgt. Chris Burgan, MOC superintendent. "If there's a problem on the ground, we can catch it.  This keeps the pit rolling."

It isn't hard to imagine crew chiefs may wish they could hang out with rock-star race car drivers and pit-crews. It might be a little harder to say whether or not NASCAR pit crew members wish they were refueling a 5th generation fighter jet. Despite their differences though, they both share the same goal and, when done right, they're off to the races.

DoD Continues Humanitarian Efforts in Nepal Following Aftershock

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2015 – Despite the magnitude-7.3 earthquake aftershock today, the Defense Department continues to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response to the people of Nepal, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told Pentagon reporters.

“Today, a magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck the Dolahka district in the central region of Nepal, approximately 50 miles northeast of Kathmandu,” he said.

The U.S. Geological Survey considers this to be the largest of more than 100 aftershocks that followed the magnitude-7.8 earthquake on April 25, Warren said.

‘Helping Hand’

The colonel said members of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s disaster assistance response team, including urban search and rescue personnel, in coordination with the U.S. military’s Joint Task Force 505, are conducting aerial assessments of Dolahka and the surrounding areas to view the extent of recent damage.

The department has committed approximately $7.5 million to this effort of the $10 million Defense Secretary Ash Carter approved in Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid funds, Warren said.

He also confirmed the international airport in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu remains open and that all DoD personnel who are present in the region “have been accounted for and are safe.”

Warren provided an update to reporters on Operation Sahayogi Haat -- Nepalese for “helping hand,” –- the name given to U.S. military efforts in the region.

More than 300 U.S. military personnel are now in Kathmandu supporting the operation, he said.

500-plus Flight Hours

Warren noted that in addition to the personnel response, there have been more than 515 hours of flight time logged, 480 tons of aid delivered and 993 civilians transported during the operation.

“This is all headquartered at III [Marine Expeditionary Force],” he added. “We’ve got three [UH-1Y] Huey’s, four Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys, two Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules, and four Air Force C-17 Globemasters.”

“We have established an intermediate staging base in Utapao, Thailand,” Warren said. “We’ve got approximately 270 personnel there, so that is how we’re flowing these heavy-lift ‘birds’ through.”

At this point there are no plans for additional personnel, but the situation is under constant assessment, he said.

Marine Helicopter Goes Missing During Nepal Relief Mission

From a Joint Task Force 505 News Release

KATHMANDU, Nepal, May 12, 2015 – A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopter with six Marines and two Nepalese service members aboard was declared missing today near Charikot, Nepal, Joint Task Force 505 officials reported.

Officials said the status of those aboard is unknown.

The Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 helicopter was flying in support of Joint Task Force 505, delivering humanitarian aid to people affected by a recent earthquake and was evacuating casualties back to Kathmandu.

Joint Task Force 505 personnel are responding to the emergency, officials said, and Nepalese military forces near the helicopter’s last known location are searching for the missing aircraft.

U.S. and Nepalese aircraft will resume aerial search procedures at daybreak, officials said.