US 7th Fleet Ships Exercise First ERSS Concept in the Pacific

From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Medical personnel aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) participated in the first Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) during a surgical drill June 4-5.

A team of medical officers and hospital corpsmen from Naval Medical Center San Diego is the first ERSS trial group to introduce the Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System concept to U.S. 7th Fleet.

The San Diego naval medical team, which includes critical care nurses, surgical technicians, hospital corpsmen, an anesthesiologist and emergency room physicians performed simulated surgeries at two different ship platforms on Yokosuka Naval Base to evaluate the surgical and medical capabilities aboard U.S. 7th Fleet ships.

"The medical capabilities on a ship can be very limited," said Assistant Department Head for Materials Management at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka Lt. j.g. Rannie Simpson. Simpson assisted in providing ongoing logistical support for the visiting ERSS San Diego naval medical team in Yokosuka.

According to Simpson, ERSS is "a huge step" for 7th Fleet because depending on the ships' platform and manning, medical personnel may not have sufficient medical supplies, training or authority to perform all surgical capabilities on a ship.

ERSS augments medical personnel and equipment from various medical facilities around the world to provide critical care that may not be readily available in the 7th Fleet. The system is designed to provide a tailored, mission-specific medical capability, close to the point of injury that supports the range of military operations afloat and ashore.

"The reason why the ERSS team from Naval Medical Center San Diego is here is so that medical personnel on ships in 7th Fleet can be familiar with equipment and supplies in addition to the ERSS platform," said Simpson.

During the medical drills on board both ships, personnel from Naval Medical Center San Diego showed how ERSS is the future of Navy surgical medicine in the Pacific.

"We are primarily in support of various operations that might require urgent access to trauma resuscitation and surgical treatment," said Emergency Medicine Physician Cmdr. Shaun Carstairs. "Rather than waiting hours for a patient to be medically evacuated through conventional means, we essentially bring the hospital to them, and we can treat them much earlier from their injury and hopefully save a life."

According to Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), there is a capability gap to support non-surgical platforms, which increases the medical risk to mission and force.

ERSS personnel on ships in the U.S. Pacific Fleet will be designated as a 48-hour, deployment team providing support to the operational commander across the range of military operations through a rapidly deployable, lightweight, scalable and adaptable response capability that is fully operationally capable on site within 96 hours of activation.

"The goal for this week is to identify and train two ERSS teams ready to deploy and provide forward resuscitative care in support of the range of military operations within Pacific Fleet area of operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Wil Morales, Chief of Medical Plans and Operations for U.S. Pacific Fleet Health Services. "We want to know the conflicts of bringing the team to different ship platforms."

According to Morales, the success of the ERSS exercises aboard USS Germantown and USS Fitzgerald in Yokosuka will determine if COMPACFLT will establish a permanent ERSS for the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Once the ERSS team is officially established, COMPACFLT will look to further training on various medical exercises in the U.S. Pacific Fleet in order to maintain medical qualifications and operational readiness.

"To be a part of this team from the ground floor is exciting because we have the opportunity to mold ERSS teams in the U.S. Pacific Fleet," said Carstairs. "Hopefully through training and exercises we can come up with a platform that is really complete and ready to go and take care of patients."

Visiting medical personnel such as Intensive Care Unit nurse Lt.j.g. Lexus Anderson hopes to see the ERSS concept implemented to all ships in U.S. 7th Fleet.

"Being out here and seeing two different platforms can put in perspective the way we have to do logistical planning and what medical supplies to bring in case of emergency," said Anderson. "ERSS will be a very good asset to 7th Fleet. We will cover so much and our mission will be so much greater."

Unique C-5M repairs showcase collective Team Robins efforts

by Jenny Gordon
78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

6/5/2015 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Georgia -- A substantial series of repairs have been completed on a high-demand C-5M Super Galaxy that will soon go down in the history books.

For the first time, 559th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainers here installed a prototype of a new lavatory system that will soon be outfitted on the entire C-5 fleet.

At the same time, a second major job occurred to replace a primary structural component, known as a Batman fitting, on the same aircraft. This was the second C-5M to receive the replacement fitting.  

Both repairs are significant because the lavatory modification system -- designed by the C-5 System Program Office here -- and the Batman fitting replacement project are part of an Air Force effort to improve the C-5 fleet's reliability and safety.

The aircraft, based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, arrived for unscheduled depot level maintenance in mid-February for an unexpected failure of a structural component on the aft door.

The component experienced fatigue cracking typical for aging aircraft. Once the aircraft was here for that repair, it was ideal to have the other work done at the same time.

Interestingly, while looking at the schedule of C-5s, one was already set to arrive for the new lavatory system installation. However, since the unforeseen failure of the C-5M occurred, the timing couldn't have been more perfect to make all the repairs needed at one time, with just one aircraft out of operation, as opposed to two.

The concurrent work packages resulted in minimum unscheduled maintenance time for the aircraft, resulting in a positive effect on fleet availability.

The repairs demonstrate Team Robins' capabilities, according to Dave Nakayama, 559 AMXS director.

"By repairing the structural damage to this aircraft, while at the same time replacing the Batman fitting and also doing a prototype installation of the new latrine, we were able to maximize aircraft availability for the warfighter and still accomplish work that needed to be done for the entire fleet," he said. "The successful outcome of this initiative was the result of a total team effort by many mission partners, and the C-5 enterprise benefitted."

The C-5M is scheduled to depart this week; its temporary visit to Robins will have lasted about 112 days. A total of 8,250 hours was spent on the total work package to include all three projects.

"There was a lot of work involved in a short amount of time," said Col. Raegan Echols, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's C-5 Division chief at Robins. "It's been a huge effort and great accomplishment for the Air Force."

About the Work
The new bathrooms on the C-5s are expected to be a welcome relief for crew members and passengers alike. They're located on the crew deck; one is up front for the crew, the other in the rear troop compartment.

The system's original 1960s design, which is now in line with the commercial airline industry, consisted of a large waste tank filled with chemical blue water, using a pump to recirculate waste tank water to the bowl for flushing, according to Amy Eddy, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Squadron's C-5/F-15 PDM Engineering Element chief.

Water leaks originating from the old system had resulted in corrosion issues on the aircraft's floorboards. That alone resulted in extensive, labor-intensive repairs each time. In addition, leaks onto electrical panels have resulted in aircraft fires.

The new system is a vacuum-flush system just like those found on commercial aircraft, and uses a vacuum generator to remove waste from the bowl to a sealed tank, later drained for servicing. It's basically the difference between having a portable toilet in your midst or a flushable toilet.

It's expected the new system will generate an estimated savings of $1 million in man hours, and $23 million in parts costs over the life of the C-5 fleet.

With unique challenges experienced aligning the different work packages -- while on schedule -- there were lessons learned in integrating military maintenance practices with commercial equipment.

"The process of how we install items and the sequencing certainly resulted in lessons learned," said Eddy.

While that process was happening, workers installed a Batman fitting, named for its resemblance to the costume headpiece worn by the comic book character. It is the primary structural component that holds the front part of the tail structure, the vertical stabilizer, to an aircraft's fuselage. It weighs about 80 pounds and was redesigned following inspections in 2009 that identified recurring cracks, indicative of a fatigue problem.

That repair took place on a C-5M, which was also returned to Dover.

There were definitely challenges at the time since everything was new; constraints were identified, blueprints had to be created, and procedures had to be tested.

Michael McUmber, 559 AMXS sheet metal mechanic, worked on the first C-5M that received the prototype last fall.

"From doing the prototype, since it was the first, we had to learn basically everything," he said. "The process this time went much smoother."

This particular fleet-wide change will help keep C-5s flying for the next 40 years and more.

Buddy Wing 15-4: ROKAF, USAF ready together

by Senior Airman Katrina Heikkinen
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/5/2015 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  -- Wolf Pack pilots practiced combined flying operations with their Republic of Korea Air Force counterparts during Exercise Buddy Wing 15-4 here, June 1 through 5.

During this iteration of Buddy Wing, the 8th Fighter Wing hosted Airmen from the 123rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing, Seosan Air Base, to train alongside the Wolf Pack's 35th Fighter Squadron as they sharpened their air combat capabilities together at Kunsan Air Base.

"This is my first Buddy Wing, and I gained a lot of insight on how the U.S. and ROK air forces integrate together," said 1st Lt. Brad Leffler, 35th FS F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. "We train and work together, and we also learn from our strengths and weaknesses. If the time comes to take the fight north, we will work better as a combined force."

During Buddy Wing, the two countries' pilots operated as one force as they integrated mission planning, briefing, flying and debriefing together, while practicing air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics.

"We may operate differently during the execution of various formations, but we train on very similar tactics," Leffler said. "At the end of the day, we all work together to accomplish the same mission. The fundamental purpose of [ROK and U.S. Air Force] practicing together is to tighten up our combined wartime readiness."

Capt. Bong Seop Kim, 123rd TFS KF-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, discussed how Buddy Wing 15-4 provided a great opportunity for ROKAF and U.S. Air Force pilots to exchange knowledge on their tactics and weapons system posture.

"When we work together as a combined military, we can exert such power that enables us to always be ready," Kim said. "We may face obstacles, to include the language barrier and other challenges during combined operations, but we overcome these barriers through continued discussions and understanding each other's differences and cultures."

According to Capt. Matthew Kimmel, 35th FS F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot and Buddy Wing 15-4 project officer, an additional aspect of strengthening combined, allied military operations is enhancing personal partnerships.

"This exercise provided not only the tactical integration with our counterparts, but also provided an opportunity to create new friendships as we - the U.S. Air Force and ROKAF - got to know each other at various social events outside of the flying operations here," he said.

Kim added how working and spending time together increases interoperability and combat capabilities.

"As two countries, we create and carry out combined operations to deter the same enemy," Kim said. "By coordinating with each other through programs such as this Buddy Wing training as well as other combined operations, these experiences add to the success of combined operations and the continued success of the ROK-U.S. Alliance."

Officer Describes Life After ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2015 – Defense Department efforts to increase diversity in its workforce welcomes talented people to hire on and help protect national security, the deputy chief of staff of the Army Reserve said last week.

In a DoD News interview, Army Brig. Gen. Tammy S. Smith discussed the importance of leadership, this year’s theme for DoD’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month observance.

“The entire Defense Department is about leadership, and [that theme] is in line with what DoD values most in uniformed individuals and civilians,” Smith said of the June recognition.

From leadership springs diversity and inclusion in the LGBT community, she noted, and it makes LGB service members and LGBT civilians feel welcome in jobs where they can thrive and contribute.

"I felt that DoD leadership embraced the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in 2011,” Smith said.

And when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, Defense officials “stepped up and said similarly situated families should be treated as families,” she said.

As a service member who can now serve as “openly” as a member of the LGBT community, the observance marks professional and personal milestones for Smith.

“The LGBT observance in 2015 is significant to DoD when you consider it was only in 2011 when someone like me would have been kicked out of the military simply for being who I was, regardless of how qualified I was in my job,” she said.

Lived a Compartmentalized Life

The first 25 years of her 29-year military career presented challenges for Smith.

Before the DADT repeal, Smith said, “I handled it by living a compartmentalized life. I had two sets of friends: work friends and my off-the-grid friends -- members of the LGBT community. We knew who each other was, and in that world we could be who we really were.”

And her two worlds could never cross, the general said.

“If I saw off-the-grid friends at work, I had to walk past them and pretend I didn’t know them,” she said. “It would have raised questions like, ‘How do you know Jones?’”

Keeping her two worlds separate was difficult and took great physical and emotional effort, Smith said.

While she felt relieved from the burden of living two lives after the 2011 DADT repeal, Smith said she had to heal after 25 years of being unable to be herself.

Smith said she had to learn new social skills, such as knowing it was OK to introduce her civilian wife, Tracey Hepner, at social functions as her spouse.

“In the military, we put so much emphasis on family support,” she said. “Under DADT, I couldn’t share my family -- the most important thing in my life.”

But in 2013, when the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down and more doors opened to the LGBT community, Smith said she was able to marry Hepner and do what heterosexual military families were permitted to do, such as live on post.

Today, Smith feels as though the Army accepts her for who she is, and she can share in workplace conversations about her family without hiding.

Educating Others with Outreach

In her outreach work, Smith speaks to people at the installation level and sometimes at commands and other agencies.

Her audiences learn the observance of LGBT pride isn’t about orientation, the general said. It’s about “who we are and who our families are,” she said, noting that she tells her personal story so others know what it was like to live under DADT and how the repeal changed her life.

“I hope it validates individuals who have lived through it,” she says of her work. She also hopes her outreach work will help DoD keep up with the rapid pace of change, she added.

Just Another Day After DADT Repeal

Smith recalls Sept. 20, 2011, when DADT was repealed. In the dining hall at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, she wanted to catch another’s eye to see if someone else was having a “completely different day,” like she was.

“You know what? I got nothing. It was just another day at Bagram … and that was absolutely perfect about the repeal,” she said.

US delivers airpower in Baltic exercise

by Capt Chase P. McFarland
USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs

6/8/2015 - ADAZI TRAINING AREA, Latvia -- About 6,000 personnel from 13 countries, including the United States, are participating in the Saber Strike 15 exercise taking place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, June 8 through 19.

Saber Strike is a long-standing U.S Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise conducted annually since 2010. The aim of the exercise is to improve the cooperation and capabilities of the participating nations for future contingency operations.  This year's exercise objectives facilitate cooperation among Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The U.S. Air Force plays a critical role by providing aerial refueling, aerial port support capabilities, joint tactical air control, personnel and equipment airlift, and close air support to U.S. and partner nation ground forces while demonstrating air deployment of forces and equipment.

"Saber Strike is a great opportunity to showcase and foster our interoperability between ally and partner nations," said Gen. Frank Gorenc, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander. "Combined training and theater security cooperation engagements with our allies and partners demonstrate that we share a commitment to promoting a Europe that is whole, free and at peace."

U.S. Air Force capabilities in the exercise include KC-135 Stratotankers from the Michigan Air National Guard, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserves out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina; F-16 Fighting Falcons from the South Carolina Air National Guard; A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the Maryland Air National Guard; B-52 Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota; and C-130J Super Hercules from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Additional support is provided by the 435th Contingency Response Group and the 435th Air-Ground Operations Wing from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

"Maintaining a forward, ready presence in Europe is critical to assuring our allies and to deter real and potential adversaries," said Gorenc. "We are only able to maintain this global presence through total force cooperation with our National Guard and Air Force Reserve partners."

Multinational Baltic Defense Exercise Showcases Interoperability

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

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2015 – The U.S. has joined 16 other NATO and partner nations in a Baltic regional maritime exercise demonstrating various integrated military capabilities, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said here today.

“Seventeen NATO and partner nations are participating in the 43rd iteration of the multinational, maritime exercise [Baltic Operations] 2015,” Warren told Pentagon reporters.

BALTOPS is an annual multinational exercise, Warren said, “designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability as well as demonstrate the resolve of allied and partner forces to defend the Baltic region.”

Multinational Participation

The training event, which began June 5, includes forces from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom, Warren said.

“These exercises are taking place in Poland, Sweden, Germany and throughout the Baltic Sea through June 20,” he said.

Warren said 5,600 ground, maritime and air force personnel -- 2,000 of which are American -- and about 49 ships, 61 aircraft and one submarine, are participating in the operation.

“It will demonstrate air defense, maritime interdiction, anti-submarine warfare and amphibious operations in a joint environment,” he said. “This is all to ensure regional security.”