World War II Airman's Remains Identified

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2015 – The remains of a serviceman, missing since World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors, said the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in a DoD news release issued today.

U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Stephen V. Biezis of Chicago, will be buried Aug. 14, in Arlington National Cemetery, according to the release. His co-pilot, 1st Lt. James F. Gatlin of Jacksonville, Florida, was buried Jan. 30, in Bushnell, Florida.

On Dec. 23, 1944, Biezis and his crew of five were assigned to the 575th Bombardment Squadron, 391st Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force and were deployed to Germany, the release said. Biezis was the co-pilot of a B-26C Marauder that crashed after being struck by enemy fire while on a bombing mission against enemy forces near Ahrweiler, Germany. Biezis, Gatlin and three other crew members were reported killed in action. His remains were not recovered during the war.

One of the crew members parachuted from the aircraft but was captured and held as a prisoner of war by German forces, the release said. Following his release, he reported to U.S. officials that he had no knowledge of the fate of the remaining crewmen.

Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command conducted investigations on the loss of Biezis and his crew and successfully located the crash site, near Manderscheid and Bettenfeld, the release said. The remains of two crewmen were recovered.

On May 27, 1999, a U.S. team investigating World War II losses in Germany visited a crash site near Bettenfeld, according to the release. Two German nationals had researched the crash site and showed the team artifacts that were found and turned over remains collected from the site. Those remains were identified as Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Joe R. Sanchez, 20, of Los Nietos, Calif. He was accounted for in March 2011, and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Between 2011 and 2014, the Department of Defense teams traveled to Bettenfeld and conducted operations at the crash site, the release said.

To identify Biezis’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used forensic identification tools to include mitochondrial DNA, which matched his sister and cousin, according to the release.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. Today, more than 73,000 are unaccounted for from the conflict, the release said.

Air Force moves to replace AWACS radio system

by Justin Oakes
66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

8/4/2015 - HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Massachusetts -- The AWACS Communication and Network Upgrade program office here is conducting market research in an effort to replace the existing tactical radio system on E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.

Recently, the Hanscom-based team issued a request for information to assess potential commercial sources able to produce, install and modify components that will be compatible with the new multifunctional information distribution system/joint tactical radio system, known as MIDS/JTRS.

The current legacy tactical radio system on Block 40/45 AWACS will be replaced by the MIDS/JTRS to support Link 16 enhancements -- some of which have been mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration by 2020.

The Link 16 Network is used by several Armed Services, and facilitates communication between other aircraft and ground forces. Beyond radio command and control communication, Link 16 allows for images and real-time video to pass among users.

In addition to federal regulations, diminishing manufacturing sources also drives the Air Force's decision to update the AWACS communication system.

"The current radio is 20-30 years old, and finding replacement parts becomes increasingly more difficult as time goes on," said Steven Clark, CNU program manager. "We have to replace the existing radio box, but we'll also be modernizing the terminal and adding new capabilities."

Some of the increased capabilities of the new unit include crypto modernization; frequency remapping; Concurrent Multi-Netting 4, or CMN4; concurrent contention reception; enhanced throughput and dynamic network management.

With CMN-4, for example, on-board battle managers will be able to monitor and receive messages on four different channels while transmitting through one dedicated line.

"The more information feeding into our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft simultaneously, the better," Clark said. "Battle managers will have better situational awareness and access to a larger pool of information."

As far as the installation itself, "it's not as simple as removing one radio and replacing it with another," Clark said. "Factors such as size, weight, power, connectivity and available products all have to be taken into consideration."

While the CNU program is still in its infancy, it is gaining momentum quickly.

Program officials anticipate a request for proposal sometime during the second quarter of fiscal 2016, with a contract award goal in early fiscal 2017.

"We're moving forward and taking the necessary steps to ensure a successful and expedited modernization to the AWACS radio system," Clark said.

Airmen help base 'weather' any storm

by Senior Airman John Nieves Camacho
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

8/6/2015 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Multiple displays of surrounding weather conditions fill monitors throughout the room. Screens and documents are flooded with combined acronyms and numbers - a cryptic language only a specialist can decipher.

Amidst the colorful display of precipitation, wind and climate forecasts, short spouts of data are verbally exchanged to accomplish the mission.

"Issue a weather advisory and inform our forecasters of the changes."

"Roger. I'll continue to monitor models and satellite imagery, as well."

The Airmen of the 4th Operations Support Squadron weather flight work diligently, 365 days a year, to stay ahead of Mother Nature and keep the people and aircraft of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base safe.

"The weather flight directs and coordinates weather watches, warnings and advisories," said Master Sgt. Adam Bolen, 4th OSS weather flight chief. "This ensures the safety of flights and enables the resource protection of (12,000) base personnel and families, as well as over $9 billion in Defense Department assets."

Airmen constantly monitor weather patterns spanning North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Gathering information such as temperature, wind speed, cloud movement and precipitation levels, Airmen are able provide accurate information to the base populace.

"We look at satellite feeds, (as well as) various radar and computer modeling websites," said Senior Airman Megan Blankenship, 4th OSS weather forecaster. "On any given day, we monitor around 15 to 20 different sources and products that we analyze and interpret to produce just one forecast for the airfield or a flying mission."

The weather flight is comprised of 17 individuals across three sections: staff, airfield services and mission services. The staff section handles administrative duties, while the airfield services section focuses on monitoring the weather above and within five nautical miles of the airfield. Mission services acts as the liaison between aircrew members and the weather flight by delivering forecasts for operations outside the immediate area.

"Briefing aircrew prior to flight is my favorite part of the job," said Staff Sgt. Robert Catron, 4th OSS weather forecaster. "We integrate with them in the fighter squadron, build trust and rapport and see all of our work culminate together."

By providing accurate forecasts, the weather flight has their hand in defending more than half of the Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagles. With so much of the mission taking place in the skies, their efforts ultimately assist in enabling more than 19,000 flying hours per year.

"Other jobs could get more difficult if there was no weather flight," Blankenship said. "We help save the Air Force money by forecasting inclement weather and advising leadership on potential hazards, which ultimately protects the lives of many aircrew members and billions of dollars in assets."

Bolen described his Airmen as "vigilant guardians" and said their work is above reproach.

"Few Airmen are tied to the mission of both the 4th Fighter Wing and the 916th Air Refueling Wing like my Airmen," Bolen added. "The selflessness and default to action attitude they express every day is a tribute to the dedication of all of my weather forecasters."

Thanks to the accuracy and brevity of the weather flight's information, so far in 2015, no aircraft or traffic incidents installation involving inclement weather have occurred.

"I love working as a weather forecaster for the Air Force," Catron said. "Our situational awareness is always at its peak. The work may get hectic at times, but we do what it takes to get the mission done. When weather is at its worst, I'm at my best."

Face of Defense: Fuels Airman Knows How to Support Jets, Lead People

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Lynette Rolen

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

OKINAWA, Japan, Aug. 6, 2015 – Kadena Air Base is home to an array of aircraft designed to perform a variety of missions -- from cargo transportation to air superiority -- but none of those missions are accomplished without the support of ground crew.

That support includes airmen from the 18th Component Maintenance Squadron, like Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas Lewellen. He and his fellow fuel systems experts help ensure the jets take to the sky.

"To work on an aircraft, especially an aircraft that you know is going to do a mission … and then see a pilot instantly step into it and take off -- to make the mission happen, that is absolutely the best," Lewellen said.

Fast Learner

Lewellen has worked on aircraft throughout his nine years in the Air Force -- mostly F-15 Eagles, but plenty of others, too. When new aircraft were added to his shop, his superiors noticed how quickly Lewellen adapted.

"Within one day of a training course, he was already out on a KC-135 [Stratotanker] and was troubleshooting," said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Little, an assistant section chief at the 18th CMS aircraft fuel systems repair facility, who said he has known Lewellen for just over one year. "He’s the tip of the spear."

Noncommissioned officers, though, aren't just charged with mastering their technical jobs. As leaders, it’s imperative they impart their knowledge to the next generation. That's a skill in which Lewellen takes pride.

"I’m a firm believer in actually leading, showing them how to do it, leading them through it, and then letting them show you what they have done the next time the task needs to happen," Lewellen said. "Just telling them to do something would be supervising or managing -- not leading."

Value of Approachability

As his airmen complete their tasks, Lewellen said he provides them with feedback. He said he believes in using positive feedback in order to keep up their morale and in maintaining an interest in the overall well-being of his airmen. He also said he wants to be approachable about issues not related to the shop environment.

"I’ve never had a supervisor who asked me every single day how I’m doing," said Senior Airman Elizabeth Melton, a fuels systems journeyman with the 18th CMS. "He lets me know that it’s an open-door policy and that if I ever have a problem, I know that I can go to him. I know that it’s okay to tell him if anything’s wrong. I know he’ll help me if I need to be helped."

Career Mentorship

In addition to his concern about the success of his airmen’s personal lives, Lewellen said he cares about their professional success, too. He encourages his airmen to try their best at progressing in their careers.

"It makes me feel better whenever I can take a brand-new airman out of [technical] school and mold them and then later … see them doing great things," Lewellen said. "Quarterly awards, annual awards, below-the-zone [promotion] -- it’s not only rewarding for them, but it’s rewarding for a supervisor also, because you help that process."

Lewellen said he's worked with Melton for four years and recently became her boss. She said he sets an example for what it means to be a great supervisor.

"He wants to see you succeed and vice-versa. When we succeed, he succeeds," Melton said. "He’s just a great all-around supervisor –- one of the best I’ve ever had, definitely. He is a rock star."

Work, Kendall Visit Livermore Lab, Nuke Stockpile

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Aug. 6, 2015 – With responsibility for surety of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California is a “national treasure,” Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said today.

Touring the lab for the first time since he took office as the DoD deputy secretary, Work said Livermore is one of three such treasures that work with the nation’s nuclear program -- in addition to Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories in Washington, D.C.

The deputy noted the words of President Barack Obama, who said the United States needs to have a safe, effective and reliable nuclear deterrent.

Livermore Central to Safe Stockpile

“Livermore is central to making sure that stockpile is safe and reliable,” Work told reporters on his return from a two-day trip to Northern California.

The California facility, he added, is “responsible for the surety of the weapons we have in our stockpile … they do tests, designs and are training the next generation of nuclear weapons specialists.”

Work added that the Department of Energy’s Livermore employees are “unbelievably talented.”

Work and Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, were briefed by the lab’s senior leaders and took a classified tour of Livermore’s key sectors of interest to DoD, including weapons and complex integration in the National Security Weapons Vault, the National Ignition Facility, home of the world’s largest laser.

Talks With Perry

Following the lab tour, Work and Kendall had a working lunch with former defense secretary William J. Perry, who served under President Bill Clinton’s administration from February 1994 to January 1997.

“Secretary Perry is an unbelievable font of knowledge,” Work said, adding that the 19th defense secretary was a key figure in DoD’s 1970s technology -- from working on the second offset strategy, development of the stealth bomber, bringing cruise missiles to the Navy, and introducing guided munitions to the Army.

“We asked him, ‘What do you think is going on in terms of technology, where do you see the third offset strategy going, what’s he worried about in [technology], what trends does he see?’” Work said of the discussions with Perry. “Just being able to sit down and talk with him … he’s just a great American.”

The visit to the Livermore lab visit and the nuclear stockpile comprised one segment of the California trip, Work said, which also centered on private industry and government dual-use innovation, in addition to observing a large-scale exercise at Fort Irwin, as the Army shifts its focus toward hybrid threats in warfare to counter a range of contingencies the military could face in the future.