by Lea Johnson
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer
7/27/2012 - CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo. -- In a ceremony steeped in tradition, the 721st Civil Engineer Squadron was activated July 17 at Mountain Man Park on Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station.
The 721st CES was deactivated Feb. 1, 2004, after a determination by Air Force leaders to outsource some civil engineer activities to a private contractor. In April 2011, a presidential directive, Resource Management Decision 802, provided for squadron in-sourcing efforts. The ceremony represents the unit's return to a squadron status.
Col. Joseph Turk, 721st Mission Support Group commander, said when CMAFS became operational in 1966 it was the jewel of the nation's defense capability and it remains the premier underground command and control facility today.
The facility was built on five acres under 2,000 feet of granite with its own water supply, power plant, and heating and cooling system to ensure reliability.
"The (people) of the civil engineer squadron make sure that happens," Turk said. "We have learned that today more so than the past, we need the reliability, survivability and the endurability the complex provides."
The new guidon for the 721st was presented during the ceremony. The squadron's colors are a memorial of its history and a symbol of its spirit. The streamers represent the performance and proud traditions of the squadron. Retired Lt. Col. Todd Wynn, the last active duty commander of the squadron, unfurled the colors from its encasement.
During the ceremony, Turk appointed leadership of the squadron to Dino Bonaldo II.
Bonaldo first arrived at CMAFS in 2002 as the environmental compliance director. He later moved up to be the director of operations under Wynn's command. Finally, he came to be the director of the 721st Civil Engineer Division in 2010.
Bonaldo's appointment as the civilian squadron commander equivalent is a unique feature in the 21st Space Wing, as the 721st CES is 100 percent civilian manned.
The 721st CES is composed of 117 government civilian employees. Bonaldo will lead the squadron that will operate, maintain, repair and engineer the infrastructure and property, ensure protection and ensure preparedness for CMAFS.
Upon assuming leadership of the squadron, Bonaldo said, "We're going to do base support and we're going to do it better than the others. There are challenges ahead and we will be successful."
Monday, July 30, 2012
Panetta: All Options Open to Stop Iran’s Nuke Program
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
CARTHAGE, Tunisia, July 30, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta reiterated here today that the United States “is prepared to exercise all options” to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons.
Panetta
spoke during a news conference at the North Africa American Cemetery and
Memorial.
Panetta would not go into specifics about the options, but he did say the U.S. government believes the United Nations-imposed sanctions on Iran still have time to work.
“The international community has been strongly unified in imposing some strong sanctions on Iran,” he said. “The international community will increase the impact of those sanctions in the next couple of months.”
The sanctions are having a serious impact on Iran’s economy. While the results of that may not be obvious at the moment, Panetta said, the Iranians have expressed a willingness to negotiate.
“What we all need to do is continue the pressure on Iran economically and diplomatically,” Panetta said. The international community must convince Iran’s leaders to take the right steps and negotiate, to stop developing nuclear weapons and to rejoin the community of nations, he added.
“We believe the best course of action is to continue that pressure and to continue that unity to convince them to do what’s right,” he said.
American Forces Press Service
CARTHAGE, Tunisia, July 30, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta reiterated here today that the United States “is prepared to exercise all options” to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons.
|
Panetta would not go into specifics about the options, but he did say the U.S. government believes the United Nations-imposed sanctions on Iran still have time to work.
“The international community has been strongly unified in imposing some strong sanctions on Iran,” he said. “The international community will increase the impact of those sanctions in the next couple of months.”
The sanctions are having a serious impact on Iran’s economy. While the results of that may not be obvious at the moment, Panetta said, the Iranians have expressed a willingness to negotiate.
“What we all need to do is continue the pressure on Iran economically and diplomatically,” Panetta said. The international community must convince Iran’s leaders to take the right steps and negotiate, to stop developing nuclear weapons and to rejoin the community of nations, he added.
“We believe the best course of action is to continue that pressure and to continue that unity to convince them to do what’s right,” he said.
DOD, U.S. Agencies Help Afghanistan Exploit Mineral Wealth
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2012 – Officials from the Defense Department and the U.S. Geological Survey gathered this month at Afghanistan’s U.S. Embassy to unveil what the director of a DOD task force called a “treasure map” of the nation’s mineral resources.
At the event, James Bullion of the Defense Department’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, or TFBSO, shared the podium with USGS Director Marcia McNutt, who described a new remote-sensing technology that has made it possible, for the first time, she said, to map more than 70 percent of the country’s surface and identify potential high-value deposits of copper, gold, iron, and other minerals.
DOD officials and USGS scientists work as partners in this initiative with the Afghanistan government and scientists and engineers from the Afghan Ministry of Mines and the Afghan Geological Survey.
“The task force is a Defense Department organization charged to help spur and grow the private-sector economy in Afghanistan, … and clearly, the mineral and oil and gas extractive areas are critical to that effort,” Bullion said.
Since 2009, the DOD task force has funded work there by USGS, including the effort to operate, with help from NASA, an airborne instrument called a hyperspectral imager to map surface indicators of natural resources below Afghanistan’s rugged mountainous terrain.
“The work that the U.S. Geological Survey has done has been critical to the whole process,” Bullion said. “In essence, what they’ve done is built a treasure map for Afghanistan, which is full of these hidden mineral and oil and gas treasures.”
Scientists from USGS began working in Afghanistan in 2004, when the agency was asked to help rebuild the nation’s natural resource sector, McNutt said. The geological data USGS scientists found was 50 to 75 years old, originating from the late 1960s when a Soviet mission for about 10 years helped the Afghan government with geological mapping.
From August to October 2007, NASA contributed its mid-wing, long-range WB-57 aircraft to fly the USGS hyperspectral instrument over Afghanistan, mapping more than 70 percent of the country. In 2009, USGS and the DOD task force became partners and worked closely, Bullion said, to help to get the hyperspectral data into a format that mining companies could use to evaluate opportunities in the mineral sector.
“Hyperspectral data uses the reflectance of light and uses the fact that different minerals reflect light in different wavelength bands,” McNutt explained. “Every mineral has its own signature or fingerprint.”
Hyperspectral imaging characterizes minerals only on the surface of the Earth, not underground where the minerals are mined. The technology wouldn’t work well in countries where forests, grasses and soil cover the ground, but it’s perfect for Afghanistan. Over 50 million years, the slow-motion collision of Iran and Eurasian tectonic plates beneath Afghanistan formed rugged, rocky mountains out of what used to be mineral-laden subsurface rock.
The hyperspectral instrument “can be used in a place where there’s no vegetative cover, and Afghanistan happens to have almost no vegetation and it is resource-laden,” McNutt explained. “And because of plate tectonic properties, … it has been tectonically uplifted and tectonically unroofed to reveal at the surface the mother lode of resources.”
Over 43 days and 23 flights, USGS flew nearly 23,000 miles, collecting data that covered 170,000 square miles.
When compared with conventional ground mapping, McNutt added, hyperspectral technology has accelerated by decades the ability to identify the most promising areas for Afghan economic development.
In December, supported by the DOD task force, officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines opened tender processes, or auctions, for exploration and later exploitation of four project areas in the country.
The Badakhshan gold project is in Badakhshan province, the Zarkashan copper and gold project is in Ghazni province, the Balkhab copper project spans Sar-I-Pul and Balkh provinces, and the Shaida copper project is in Herat province.
Bids for the Balkhab project were opened July 24, and a preferred bidder will be announced when the evaluations are complete, ministry officials said in a statement.
At the Afghan embassy event, a USGS official characterized the value of Afghanistan’s mineral and other deposits.
“We have identified somewhere between 10 and 12 world-class copper, gold, iron ore [and] rare earth deposits that no one knew were there,” Jack Medlin, regional specialist for the Asia-Pacific region in the USGS international programs office, told the audience.
“In our 2007 publication, we gave an estimate of undiscovered mineral resources for the country, and … you can add up the tonnages of copper, lead, gold, iron, silver and so forth. … But this country has many more world-class mineral deposits than most countries in the world, if not more than any country,” he said.
That doesn’t mean it will be easy to turn these resources into national income, Medlin told American Forces Press Service.
Once a company wins a bid for an Afghan site, it will gather all information about the site, including the hyperspectral data and any geologic, geochemical and geophysical information, he said. It will also send its own geologists to the site to do detailed mapping and arrange for detailed airborne gravity and magnetic studies, Medlin said, which gives the company a subsurface three-dimensional picture of the ore deposit.
The company checks the absolute grade and tonnage of the ore deposit by drilling through the ore body, collecting a rock core and sending it to a chemical laboratory for analysis. If the results are positive, he added, the company creates a mine plan and determines the mining method.
“You’re talking about a capital investment of billions of dollars up front before you’ve even mined a pound of ore,” Medlin said. “It’s the reason companies want well-defined mining laws … and they want all the legal and regulatory requirements spelled out.”
In the Afghan mining brochure, Minister of Mines Wahidulla Shahrani describes major road and rail development and ongoing work on electric transmission lines, a favorable legal and fiscal regime, stable mineral laws and regulations, and physical security for working mines.
A mine protection unit has 1,500 security personnel at the Aynak copper mine in Logar province, according to the Ministry of Mines, and the Afghan government plans to increase the number of personnel to 7,000 for future mining projects.
At the embassy event, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States Eklil Hakimi thanked DOD and the USGS for their help with the mining enterprise and discussed the potential economic benefits.
“The estimated direct revenue to be generated by royalties and taxes from the extractive industries could reach up to $1.5 billion by 2016 and exceed $3.7 billion by 2026,” Hakimi said, “and will become a major source of employment, with 165,000 jobs anticipated by 2016 and up to half a million by 2026.
“As we recently stressed at the Tokyo Conference [on Afghanistan in July],” he continued, “a peaceful future for Afghanistan rests in development and a sustainable economy, one that’s not dependent on international assistance and can provide jobs for the people.”
In response to a question from the audience, McNutt said the Afghans are eager to embrace modern geophysical techniques and technology and to be responsible for their own success.
“The word that I hear is [the Afghans] want to do this themselves,” the USGS director added. “They … are eager to take leadership and ownership of these projects and learn how to do it because they’re excited about rebuilding.”
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2012 – Officials from the Defense Department and the U.S. Geological Survey gathered this month at Afghanistan’s U.S. Embassy to unveil what the director of a DOD task force called a “treasure map” of the nation’s mineral resources.
At the event, James Bullion of the Defense Department’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, or TFBSO, shared the podium with USGS Director Marcia McNutt, who described a new remote-sensing technology that has made it possible, for the first time, she said, to map more than 70 percent of the country’s surface and identify potential high-value deposits of copper, gold, iron, and other minerals.
DOD officials and USGS scientists work as partners in this initiative with the Afghanistan government and scientists and engineers from the Afghan Ministry of Mines and the Afghan Geological Survey.
“The task force is a Defense Department organization charged to help spur and grow the private-sector economy in Afghanistan, … and clearly, the mineral and oil and gas extractive areas are critical to that effort,” Bullion said.
Since 2009, the DOD task force has funded work there by USGS, including the effort to operate, with help from NASA, an airborne instrument called a hyperspectral imager to map surface indicators of natural resources below Afghanistan’s rugged mountainous terrain.
“The work that the U.S. Geological Survey has done has been critical to the whole process,” Bullion said. “In essence, what they’ve done is built a treasure map for Afghanistan, which is full of these hidden mineral and oil and gas treasures.”
Scientists from USGS began working in Afghanistan in 2004, when the agency was asked to help rebuild the nation’s natural resource sector, McNutt said. The geological data USGS scientists found was 50 to 75 years old, originating from the late 1960s when a Soviet mission for about 10 years helped the Afghan government with geological mapping.
From August to October 2007, NASA contributed its mid-wing, long-range WB-57 aircraft to fly the USGS hyperspectral instrument over Afghanistan, mapping more than 70 percent of the country. In 2009, USGS and the DOD task force became partners and worked closely, Bullion said, to help to get the hyperspectral data into a format that mining companies could use to evaluate opportunities in the mineral sector.
“Hyperspectral data uses the reflectance of light and uses the fact that different minerals reflect light in different wavelength bands,” McNutt explained. “Every mineral has its own signature or fingerprint.”
Hyperspectral imaging characterizes minerals only on the surface of the Earth, not underground where the minerals are mined. The technology wouldn’t work well in countries where forests, grasses and soil cover the ground, but it’s perfect for Afghanistan. Over 50 million years, the slow-motion collision of Iran and Eurasian tectonic plates beneath Afghanistan formed rugged, rocky mountains out of what used to be mineral-laden subsurface rock.
The hyperspectral instrument “can be used in a place where there’s no vegetative cover, and Afghanistan happens to have almost no vegetation and it is resource-laden,” McNutt explained. “And because of plate tectonic properties, … it has been tectonically uplifted and tectonically unroofed to reveal at the surface the mother lode of resources.”
Over 43 days and 23 flights, USGS flew nearly 23,000 miles, collecting data that covered 170,000 square miles.
When compared with conventional ground mapping, McNutt added, hyperspectral technology has accelerated by decades the ability to identify the most promising areas for Afghan economic development.
In December, supported by the DOD task force, officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines opened tender processes, or auctions, for exploration and later exploitation of four project areas in the country.
The Badakhshan gold project is in Badakhshan province, the Zarkashan copper and gold project is in Ghazni province, the Balkhab copper project spans Sar-I-Pul and Balkh provinces, and the Shaida copper project is in Herat province.
Bids for the Balkhab project were opened July 24, and a preferred bidder will be announced when the evaluations are complete, ministry officials said in a statement.
At the Afghan embassy event, a USGS official characterized the value of Afghanistan’s mineral and other deposits.
“We have identified somewhere between 10 and 12 world-class copper, gold, iron ore [and] rare earth deposits that no one knew were there,” Jack Medlin, regional specialist for the Asia-Pacific region in the USGS international programs office, told the audience.
“In our 2007 publication, we gave an estimate of undiscovered mineral resources for the country, and … you can add up the tonnages of copper, lead, gold, iron, silver and so forth. … But this country has many more world-class mineral deposits than most countries in the world, if not more than any country,” he said.
That doesn’t mean it will be easy to turn these resources into national income, Medlin told American Forces Press Service.
Once a company wins a bid for an Afghan site, it will gather all information about the site, including the hyperspectral data and any geologic, geochemical and geophysical information, he said. It will also send its own geologists to the site to do detailed mapping and arrange for detailed airborne gravity and magnetic studies, Medlin said, which gives the company a subsurface three-dimensional picture of the ore deposit.
The company checks the absolute grade and tonnage of the ore deposit by drilling through the ore body, collecting a rock core and sending it to a chemical laboratory for analysis. If the results are positive, he added, the company creates a mine plan and determines the mining method.
“You’re talking about a capital investment of billions of dollars up front before you’ve even mined a pound of ore,” Medlin said. “It’s the reason companies want well-defined mining laws … and they want all the legal and regulatory requirements spelled out.”
In the Afghan mining brochure, Minister of Mines Wahidulla Shahrani describes major road and rail development and ongoing work on electric transmission lines, a favorable legal and fiscal regime, stable mineral laws and regulations, and physical security for working mines.
A mine protection unit has 1,500 security personnel at the Aynak copper mine in Logar province, according to the Ministry of Mines, and the Afghan government plans to increase the number of personnel to 7,000 for future mining projects.
At the embassy event, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States Eklil Hakimi thanked DOD and the USGS for their help with the mining enterprise and discussed the potential economic benefits.
“The estimated direct revenue to be generated by royalties and taxes from the extractive industries could reach up to $1.5 billion by 2016 and exceed $3.7 billion by 2026,” Hakimi said, “and will become a major source of employment, with 165,000 jobs anticipated by 2016 and up to half a million by 2026.
“As we recently stressed at the Tokyo Conference [on Afghanistan in July],” he continued, “a peaceful future for Afghanistan rests in development and a sustainable economy, one that’s not dependent on international assistance and can provide jobs for the people.”
In response to a question from the audience, McNutt said the Afghans are eager to embrace modern geophysical techniques and technology and to be responsible for their own success.
“The word that I hear is [the Afghans] want to do this themselves,” the USGS director added. “They … are eager to take leadership and ownership of these projects and learn how to do it because they’re excited about rebuilding.”
Reserve aerial firefighting aircraft return to Colorado
by 153 AEG public affairs
7/27/2012 - CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- A favorable fire outlook has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to allow the 302nd Airlift Wing's two MAFFS-equipped C-130s to return home today.
"The forest service is very comfortable with where they are, in terms of fire danger," said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153 Air Expeditionary Group commander. "There is some lightening in the long-term forecast, so we're going to keep California here for now."
Under the modified request for assistance received today, the 146th Airlift Wing's two C-130s will remain activated and continue operating from Boise Air Terminal, in Idaho.
Since being activated June 25, the MAFFS fleet has completed more than 327 drops, releasing more than 799,585 gallons of retardant on Rocky Mountain area fires.
The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems are operated by four military units: the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard; 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard; 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard; and the 302nd Airlift Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve Command.
The MAFFS program is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Defense. The forest service owns the MAFFS equipment and supplies the retardant. DoD provides the C-130 aircraft, pilots, maintenance and support personnel to fly the mission.
MAFFS provides a surge capability that can be used to boost wildfire suppression efforts when commercial airtankers are fully committed or not readily available.
MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.
7/27/2012 - CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- A favorable fire outlook has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to allow the 302nd Airlift Wing's two MAFFS-equipped C-130s to return home today.
"The forest service is very comfortable with where they are, in terms of fire danger," said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153 Air Expeditionary Group commander. "There is some lightening in the long-term forecast, so we're going to keep California here for now."
Under the modified request for assistance received today, the 146th Airlift Wing's two C-130s will remain activated and continue operating from Boise Air Terminal, in Idaho.
Since being activated June 25, the MAFFS fleet has completed more than 327 drops, releasing more than 799,585 gallons of retardant on Rocky Mountain area fires.
The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems are operated by four military units: the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard; 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard; 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard; and the 302nd Airlift Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve Command.
The MAFFS program is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Defense. The forest service owns the MAFFS equipment and supplies the retardant. DoD provides the C-130 aircraft, pilots, maintenance and support personnel to fly the mission.
MAFFS provides a surge capability that can be used to boost wildfire suppression efforts when commercial airtankers are fully committed or not readily available.
MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.
Luke AFB transitions to single staffing tool
by Debbie Gildea
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - RANDOLPH, Texas – With Luke Air Force Base’s transition to the resume-based single staffing tool, all Air Force civilian employment opportunities are now listed on the USAJobs site, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - RANDOLPH, Texas – With Luke Air Force Base’s transition to the resume-based single staffing tool, all Air Force civilian employment opportunities are now listed on the USAJobs site, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.
In 2010, AFPC announced that the Air Force would transition to a resume
based system using a single staffing tool for all Air Force job seekers using
USA Staffing to post job announcements on USAJobs.gov.
Implementation occurred in stages, said Nancy Tackett, AFPC Human Resources
Technical Operations Branch. Luke’s July 27 transition was the final stage.
USA Staffing is a web-based system that automates civilian employee
recruitment, assessment, referral and notification processes, Tackett
explained. It generates vacancy announcements for appropriated fund civilian
positions and posts them on USAJobs and the Air Force civilian careers website
at www.afciviliancareers.com.
“Hiring managers have 15 days from the time they receive candidate resumes
to make their selection, so the resume process helps them meet that deadline,”
she explained.
The transition helps ensure the right people are hired for the right jobs
based on qualifications while respecting merit system principles and veterans
preference. Job seekers who need help capturing their qualifications on a
resume can visit an installation Airman and Family Readiness Center for
resume-building assistance.
Wisconsin Guardsman hits home run with National Anthem performance
July 30, 2012
By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson
Wisconsin National Guard
By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson
Wisconsin National Guard
It's a long way from open mike nights in Milwaukee to singing the National Anthem on the Miller Park infield, but Sgt. Zachary Henningsen of the Plymouth-based Battery B, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery made it look easy.
"My dream is to become a world-famous rock star," Henningsen said moments before standing in front of more than 33,000 Milwaukee Brewers fans at the July 26 game against the Washington Nationals. "Who doesn't want to do something like that?"
Henningsen, 23, sang in the choir during middle and high school in Mayville, Wis. After moving to Milwaukee he frequented open mike nights at various establishments to continue his love of singing.
"I enjoy it," he said. "I've never really been booed off stage."
Henningsen learned near the end of a recent National Guard drill weekend of the opportunity to attend the Milwaukee Brewers game through a ticket promotion offered by the Wisconsin USO. He asked his unit leaders about the possibility of singing the National Anthem before the July 26 game; after gaining their approval, he sent the Brewers organization an audition CD. Less than 10 days later he received the Brewers' approval.
"I was ecstatic," Henningsen said. "For any singer, to get on a national stage or have the opportunity to sing in front of tens of thousands of people is a dream come true."
Henningsen joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard nearly five years ago to "become part of something bigger and better than myself." And his musical aspirations continue to grow as well. Having already performed the National Anthem at Elkhart Lake's Road America and now Miller Park, he has his sights set on the biggest sports stage in the state.
"Maybe I'll do a Packers game this season," he said.
Focus Groups Enhance Pacom's Regional Understanding, Engagement
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
HONOLULU, July 30, 2012 - As U.S. Pacific Command implements new strategic guidance focused on the Asia-Pacific region, its commander, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, is tapping into a pool of expertise within his headquarters here to enhance the command's engagements in the region.
"This is what combatant commanders across the globe should be attending to," Willard told reporters at the time. He pointed to the need for more focus on aligning the command with national strategies and policies and on understanding the strategies and policies of regional counterparts. Today, these four strategic focus groups advise Locklear and his senior staff on key areas within the theater engagement strategy.
One group focuses on ways to mature the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship. Another concentrates on developing the U.S strategic partnership with India, a nonaligned nation that is a rising military power and economic powerhouse.
Another group explores ways to strengthen the five U.S. alliances in the region – with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines — and to advance other partnerships in the Asia-Pacific.
The fourth focus group concentrates on the North Korean threat and plans for a U.S.-South Korean military response, if required.
William McKinney, director of strategic focus group that focuses on North Korea, described the groups as "in-house, mini think tanks" that provide in-depth analysis to help Locklear shape decisions on strategy, policy and plans.
Unlike regular desk officers whose schedules can get overwhelmed by the details of day-to-day current operations, strategic focus groups concentrate on the big picture, McKinney explained. "We have the luxury of having the 'white space' and the time to, as Admiral Locklear says, 'think big,'" he said.
That entails everything from reading published reports to determining what a particular country is doing and why, and identifying the strategic implications of those actions.
The teams also help Pacom leaders understand the cultural context of how U.S. messages or actions will be interpreted.
"By studying that region, that country and that culture, strategic focus groups are able to provide some of the cultural understanding to our senior leaders and decision makers who need to understand how certain actions are going to be perceived in that country, or how certain actions are likely to be reciprocated," said David Dorman, director of the China SFG.
Those perspectives, explained Army Col. Michael Albaneze, the India SFG director, provide Locklear insights that help guide his decisions in light of opportunities as well as challenges in the region.
While not duplicating what other staff sections do, the strategic focus groups help to put those functions into context, he said.
"The idea is to look at issues more from a perspective of that country's interests," Albaneze said. "What are its understandings and its strategies and its policies? And how might they relate back to the United States, and more specifically, on the military-to-military relationship, and how we engage with them?"
The groups are small – typically just five or six members – and bring a broad array of backgrounds to the mission.
Dorman came to Pacom from Capitol Hill, where he worked East Asia policy issues as a senior staffer. After his initial introduction to China in the early 1980s as a Marine security guard, he went on to earn a doctorate in international security studies, with an emphasis on China.
McKinney retired from the military as a Korea foreign area officer, spending 15 of his 30 years of service in South Korea, with six of those years as the defense attache. He also got unique experience during three years in North Korea as the U.S. representative for the Korea Energy Development Organization.
Albaneze spent 11 months at the India National Defense College in 2009 before joining the Pacom staff.
Their staffs reflect mixed disciplines as well, with backgrounds in political-military affairs, strategic plans and policy, security assistance, operations and intelligence, among other fields.
"It really makes a lot of sense, because each discipline is going to provide its own perspective," said Albaneze. "And our job is to try to put all that together and give [Locklear] a sort of 'what does that all really mean to you, and what is the impact of that?"
Dorman, whose China SFG includes a wide range of specialists, some with experience in the country as attaches, called the diversity of his team's resumes one of its greatest strengths.
"We have people who have all worked China issues in one capacity or another, but coming from extremely different directions," he said. "And the benefit of that is that it gives us a perspective on China that no one has ever had before."
As the United States and South Korea prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice next year, McKinney expressed hope that insights he and his focus group provide will help Pacom deal with continuing challenges on the Korean peninsula.
Meanwhile, Dorman and Albaneze said they're optimistic that the kind of deep understanding their teams provide can help Pacom work toward closer U.S. engagement with their focus nations.
The relatively new U.S. military relationship with India is slowly maturing, although not as quickly or as consistently as some would like, Albaneze conceded. "But if you look at it from the long term," he said, "you have a lot of mutual interests and converging interests about stability and increased economic growth and countering terrorism. And when you put all those things together, it gives us the potential to be hopeful to look into the future."
After recently traveling with Locklear on his first visit to China as Pacom commander, Dornan said he feels certain that the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship will move forward.
Dorman credited Locklear with exhibiting during that visit the exact kind of understanding it will take to open doors in that direction – and with no strategic focus group coaching. On meeting his Chinese counterparts, Locklear's first words were to acknowledge two milestone accomplishments: China's submersible deep-sea dive to 23,000 feet in the Marianas Trench on June 30 and China's first successful manned docking in space 12 days earlier.
"These were moments of supreme [Chinese] national pride, and he walked in and congratulated them," Dorman said. "Those were his first words: 'We are proud of you.'"
American Forces Press Service
HONOLULU, July 30, 2012 - As U.S. Pacific Command implements new strategic guidance focused on the Asia-Pacific region, its commander, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, is tapping into a pool of expertise within his headquarters here to enhance the command's engagements in the region.
|
Pacom
is the only U.S. combatant command that includes strategic focus groups within
its command structure. Then-Pacom commander Navy Adm. Robert Willard stood up
the four groups in 2009 as part of a commandwide emphasis on strategic thinking
to enhance operational planning.
"This is what combatant commanders across the globe should be attending to," Willard told reporters at the time. He pointed to the need for more focus on aligning the command with national strategies and policies and on understanding the strategies and policies of regional counterparts. Today, these four strategic focus groups advise Locklear and his senior staff on key areas within the theater engagement strategy.
One group focuses on ways to mature the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship. Another concentrates on developing the U.S strategic partnership with India, a nonaligned nation that is a rising military power and economic powerhouse.
Another group explores ways to strengthen the five U.S. alliances in the region – with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines — and to advance other partnerships in the Asia-Pacific.
The fourth focus group concentrates on the North Korean threat and plans for a U.S.-South Korean military response, if required.
William McKinney, director of strategic focus group that focuses on North Korea, described the groups as "in-house, mini think tanks" that provide in-depth analysis to help Locklear shape decisions on strategy, policy and plans.
Unlike regular desk officers whose schedules can get overwhelmed by the details of day-to-day current operations, strategic focus groups concentrate on the big picture, McKinney explained. "We have the luxury of having the 'white space' and the time to, as Admiral Locklear says, 'think big,'" he said.
That entails everything from reading published reports to determining what a particular country is doing and why, and identifying the strategic implications of those actions.
The teams also help Pacom leaders understand the cultural context of how U.S. messages or actions will be interpreted.
"By studying that region, that country and that culture, strategic focus groups are able to provide some of the cultural understanding to our senior leaders and decision makers who need to understand how certain actions are going to be perceived in that country, or how certain actions are likely to be reciprocated," said David Dorman, director of the China SFG.
Those perspectives, explained Army Col. Michael Albaneze, the India SFG director, provide Locklear insights that help guide his decisions in light of opportunities as well as challenges in the region.
While not duplicating what other staff sections do, the strategic focus groups help to put those functions into context, he said.
"The idea is to look at issues more from a perspective of that country's interests," Albaneze said. "What are its understandings and its strategies and its policies? And how might they relate back to the United States, and more specifically, on the military-to-military relationship, and how we engage with them?"
The groups are small – typically just five or six members – and bring a broad array of backgrounds to the mission.
Dorman came to Pacom from Capitol Hill, where he worked East Asia policy issues as a senior staffer. After his initial introduction to China in the early 1980s as a Marine security guard, he went on to earn a doctorate in international security studies, with an emphasis on China.
McKinney retired from the military as a Korea foreign area officer, spending 15 of his 30 years of service in South Korea, with six of those years as the defense attache. He also got unique experience during three years in North Korea as the U.S. representative for the Korea Energy Development Organization.
Albaneze spent 11 months at the India National Defense College in 2009 before joining the Pacom staff.
Their staffs reflect mixed disciplines as well, with backgrounds in political-military affairs, strategic plans and policy, security assistance, operations and intelligence, among other fields.
"It really makes a lot of sense, because each discipline is going to provide its own perspective," said Albaneze. "And our job is to try to put all that together and give [Locklear] a sort of 'what does that all really mean to you, and what is the impact of that?"
Dorman, whose China SFG includes a wide range of specialists, some with experience in the country as attaches, called the diversity of his team's resumes one of its greatest strengths.
"We have people who have all worked China issues in one capacity or another, but coming from extremely different directions," he said. "And the benefit of that is that it gives us a perspective on China that no one has ever had before."
As the United States and South Korea prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice next year, McKinney expressed hope that insights he and his focus group provide will help Pacom deal with continuing challenges on the Korean peninsula.
Meanwhile, Dorman and Albaneze said they're optimistic that the kind of deep understanding their teams provide can help Pacom work toward closer U.S. engagement with their focus nations.
The relatively new U.S. military relationship with India is slowly maturing, although not as quickly or as consistently as some would like, Albaneze conceded. "But if you look at it from the long term," he said, "you have a lot of mutual interests and converging interests about stability and increased economic growth and countering terrorism. And when you put all those things together, it gives us the potential to be hopeful to look into the future."
After recently traveling with Locklear on his first visit to China as Pacom commander, Dornan said he feels certain that the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship will move forward.
Dorman credited Locklear with exhibiting during that visit the exact kind of understanding it will take to open doors in that direction – and with no strategic focus group coaching. On meeting his Chinese counterparts, Locklear's first words were to acknowledge two milestone accomplishments: China's submersible deep-sea dive to 23,000 feet in the Marianas Trench on June 30 and China's first successful manned docking in space 12 days earlier.
"These were moments of supreme [Chinese] national pride, and he walked in and congratulated them," Dorman said. "Those were his first words: 'We are proud of you.'"
AWC opens doors for new academic year
by Staff Sgt. Sarah Loicano
Air University Public Affairs
7/27/2012 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The Air War College held an opening day ceremony Tuesday, marking the beginning of 10 months of advanced graduate-level studies for 242 new students.
The class of 2013 is a mix of students from all five U.S. military branches, federal civilian employees and international military members representing more than 40 nations. The students were welcomed by the mayors of Prattville and Montgomery, as well as the 42nd Wing Commander and Air University Commander and President Lt. Gen. David S. Fadok.
"You know how selective and competitive the process is, so the very fact that you were selected to represent your respective services, as well as your respective nations, is a big, big deal and you should be proud of that," Fadok said during the opening ceremony.
Prior to being selected to attend AWC, many of the students served as squadron or group commanding officers. This year AWC created a new program called First Thirty, designed to facilitate the students' transition from commander to scholar, as well as provide the class with a clear vision for the academic year.
According to Col. Kay Smith, AWC director of student operations, First Thirty was established to provide senior student officers a week to develop their leadership team and set a vision for the incoming class. During that week, First Thirty students did various team building exercises, attended orientation and set class goals.
"Our vision is to help us become more engaged senior leaders. We come here as squadron or even group leaders, where we've learned to deal with people and interact on a personal level, but here we are learning to look outside the Air Force organization," said Col. George Tombe, AWC Class 2013 president. "This gives us a global outlook on a strategic level. That's what's so exciting about working with the international students and alongside our sister services."
During the next 44 weeks, the officer students will develop their strategic and critical thinking skills and learn how to employ air and space forces on a global reach. These objectives are accomplished through course seminars, simulation exercises, electives, international travel and a national security symposium.
"The AWC resident curriculum includes core curriculum and an elective program. The core curriculum consists of four major areas: leadership and ethics, international security studies, national and military strategy, and joint warfighting," said Dr. Mark Conversino, dean of Air War College.
The required courses all students are expected to complete are foundations of strategy, national security and decision making, global security, regional and cultural studies, joint strategic leadership and warfighting. Each year, AWC offers about 60 elective courses; students are required to take two full electives for credit, which support and expand upon topics in the core curriculum.
In addition, U.S. students have an in-depth study one of 12-14 regions culminating with a international visit which allows the students to discuss security issues with senior political, military, diplomatic, economic and academic leaders in the region itself.
All U.S. students will be dually enrolled in the AWC senior-level professional military education program and the AU master of strategic studies degree program. In order to enroll, they must meet admission requirements for the master of strategic studies degree.
Although the emphasis is on education, AWC leadership also encourages officer students to use their time at Maxwell to engage their new community and develop personal and professional relationships, something that the students acknowledge is beneficial for their future careers.
"It's a huge advantage to be here; the in-residence program provides not only the classroom environment but networking opportunities. We live in a socially engaged society," Tombe said. "It's about meeting people, building relationships with peers, and our sister counterparts and international officers. It helps us to become more effective officers."
Despite the fact that the class of 2013 is coming together from all different branches of service, experiences and even countries, Maj. Gen. Scott M. Hanson, AWC commandant, said that is exactly what makes this academic year an exciting prospect for the in residence students.
"One common thing you all have together is the fact that when you walk out the door here next spring, you'll be expected to perform as senior leaders and it's our job to help you prepare for that role," he said. "This is a tremendous opportunity; this is your chance to learn, to grow and to lead. It's a year of transition. The opportunities are endless but it's your opportunity to take charge of your year and make it what you want it to be."
Air University Public Affairs
7/27/2012 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The Air War College held an opening day ceremony Tuesday, marking the beginning of 10 months of advanced graduate-level studies for 242 new students.
The class of 2013 is a mix of students from all five U.S. military branches, federal civilian employees and international military members representing more than 40 nations. The students were welcomed by the mayors of Prattville and Montgomery, as well as the 42nd Wing Commander and Air University Commander and President Lt. Gen. David S. Fadok.
"You know how selective and competitive the process is, so the very fact that you were selected to represent your respective services, as well as your respective nations, is a big, big deal and you should be proud of that," Fadok said during the opening ceremony.
Prior to being selected to attend AWC, many of the students served as squadron or group commanding officers. This year AWC created a new program called First Thirty, designed to facilitate the students' transition from commander to scholar, as well as provide the class with a clear vision for the academic year.
According to Col. Kay Smith, AWC director of student operations, First Thirty was established to provide senior student officers a week to develop their leadership team and set a vision for the incoming class. During that week, First Thirty students did various team building exercises, attended orientation and set class goals.
"Our vision is to help us become more engaged senior leaders. We come here as squadron or even group leaders, where we've learned to deal with people and interact on a personal level, but here we are learning to look outside the Air Force organization," said Col. George Tombe, AWC Class 2013 president. "This gives us a global outlook on a strategic level. That's what's so exciting about working with the international students and alongside our sister services."
During the next 44 weeks, the officer students will develop their strategic and critical thinking skills and learn how to employ air and space forces on a global reach. These objectives are accomplished through course seminars, simulation exercises, electives, international travel and a national security symposium.
"The AWC resident curriculum includes core curriculum and an elective program. The core curriculum consists of four major areas: leadership and ethics, international security studies, national and military strategy, and joint warfighting," said Dr. Mark Conversino, dean of Air War College.
The required courses all students are expected to complete are foundations of strategy, national security and decision making, global security, regional and cultural studies, joint strategic leadership and warfighting. Each year, AWC offers about 60 elective courses; students are required to take two full electives for credit, which support and expand upon topics in the core curriculum.
In addition, U.S. students have an in-depth study one of 12-14 regions culminating with a international visit which allows the students to discuss security issues with senior political, military, diplomatic, economic and academic leaders in the region itself.
All U.S. students will be dually enrolled in the AWC senior-level professional military education program and the AU master of strategic studies degree program. In order to enroll, they must meet admission requirements for the master of strategic studies degree.
Although the emphasis is on education, AWC leadership also encourages officer students to use their time at Maxwell to engage their new community and develop personal and professional relationships, something that the students acknowledge is beneficial for their future careers.
"It's a huge advantage to be here; the in-residence program provides not only the classroom environment but networking opportunities. We live in a socially engaged society," Tombe said. "It's about meeting people, building relationships with peers, and our sister counterparts and international officers. It helps us to become more effective officers."
Despite the fact that the class of 2013 is coming together from all different branches of service, experiences and even countries, Maj. Gen. Scott M. Hanson, AWC commandant, said that is exactly what makes this academic year an exciting prospect for the in residence students.
"One common thing you all have together is the fact that when you walk out the door here next spring, you'll be expected to perform as senior leaders and it's our job to help you prepare for that role," he said. "This is a tremendous opportunity; this is your chance to learn, to grow and to lead. It's a year of transition. The opportunities are endless but it's your opportunity to take charge of your year and make it what you want it to be."
IAAFA hosts training managers
by Senior Airman Allison M. Boehm
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
7/26/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Training managers from 16 Latin American countries attended the Inter-American Air Forces Academy Training Manager Conference July 16-17 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
IAAFA works to foster enduring inter-American engagement with Latin American countries through education and training.
Military students from more than 20 countries routinely attend courses at the IAAFA campus, thanks in part to the guidance their countries' training managers.
The conference, with 21 training managers in attendance, was critical in presenting an in-depth picture of the 34 courses offered, course overviews from each instructor, and briefings to better explain the IAAFA experience.
"Attending this conference has given me a better idea and more thorough explanation of what IAAFA can offer us," said Ritza Romero, a training manager from Honduras.
"Without coming here, I can read a course description in the catalog, but I can't explain to them what to expect as students," Romero said.
"I now know exactly how to prepare students when they are sent to an IAAFA course - from what to anticipate getting off the plane, to courses and simulators, to hospitality," she said. "We were able to experience everything that our students will when they come here."
Romero said as a training manager, part of her job is to understand IAAFA course descriptions, help match students with needed courses, and even help prepare them for travel to the U.S. Attending this conference makes those aspects of her job much easier.
"Although we provide a catalog, an interactive website, and are open any time for questions, the work the training managers provide can't be duplicated," said Col. Marc Stratton, IAAFA commandant. "Seeing first-hand each of the courses, talking to the instructors and actually handling some of the training aids that we use cannot be done virtually."
The last training manager conference was held in 2008. Since then, IAAFA has moved into a new facility, acquired different training aids, an additional aircraft, and modernized several courses. The conference served as an opportunity to update the training managers on improvements and changes that have taken place at IAAFA in the four years since.
"There is a huge difference in IAAFA," Romero said. "With the new building and improvements ... I wish we had something like this back home for training. This was a very rewarding opportunity to see what IAAFA has to offer."
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
7/26/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Training managers from 16 Latin American countries attended the Inter-American Air Forces Academy Training Manager Conference July 16-17 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
IAAFA works to foster enduring inter-American engagement with Latin American countries through education and training.
Military students from more than 20 countries routinely attend courses at the IAAFA campus, thanks in part to the guidance their countries' training managers.
The conference, with 21 training managers in attendance, was critical in presenting an in-depth picture of the 34 courses offered, course overviews from each instructor, and briefings to better explain the IAAFA experience.
"Attending this conference has given me a better idea and more thorough explanation of what IAAFA can offer us," said Ritza Romero, a training manager from Honduras.
"Without coming here, I can read a course description in the catalog, but I can't explain to them what to expect as students," Romero said.
"I now know exactly how to prepare students when they are sent to an IAAFA course - from what to anticipate getting off the plane, to courses and simulators, to hospitality," she said. "We were able to experience everything that our students will when they come here."
Romero said as a training manager, part of her job is to understand IAAFA course descriptions, help match students with needed courses, and even help prepare them for travel to the U.S. Attending this conference makes those aspects of her job much easier.
"Although we provide a catalog, an interactive website, and are open any time for questions, the work the training managers provide can't be duplicated," said Col. Marc Stratton, IAAFA commandant. "Seeing first-hand each of the courses, talking to the instructors and actually handling some of the training aids that we use cannot be done virtually."
The last training manager conference was held in 2008. Since then, IAAFA has moved into a new facility, acquired different training aids, an additional aircraft, and modernized several courses. The conference served as an opportunity to update the training managers on improvements and changes that have taken place at IAAFA in the four years since.
"There is a huge difference in IAAFA," Romero said. "With the new building and improvements ... I wish we had something like this back home for training. This was a very rewarding opportunity to see what IAAFA has to offer."
End of an era: 94th FTS phases out TG-10 gliders
by Amber Baillie
Air Force Academy Public Affairs
7/27/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The TG-10C gliders that have been the Academy's sailplane of choice for basic and aerobatic training for the last decade ascended for its final flight here Monday.
The TG-10 trainer, which has been replaced by the new German TG-16A model, was flown for the last time on Academy grounds by Cadet 2nd Class Kurt Luithly, who flew the plane as a check ride to upgrade as a cadet instructor pilot. His evaluator, Lt. Col. Jeff Riddlebarger, an Air Force reservist, said it was one of the best check rides he'd seen.
"Luithly was very successful due to excellent discipline standards and leadership," said Lt. Col. Richard Roller, commander of the 94th Flying Training Squadron. "That's what the soaring program is all about: discipline, enthusiasm and teamwork."
Twelve TG-10 planes were brought to the Academy in May 2002 and used to give cadets firsthand experience flying an aircraft. The planes are no longer being manufactured but can still be flown and were transferred to the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol.
"They were used for 140,000 flights," Roller said. The TG-10 flew as high as 24,000 feet and had a record duration of 6.1 hours.
The Academy has received 15 TG-16s and will import four more. Five are smoke-capable and can perform aerial demonstrations. The remaining 14 are non-smoke capable and will be used for training purposes only.
"I'm really looking forward to training cadets again with the TG-16 as well as taking it on the road to air shows and hopefully football games," Roller said. "It's a great recruiting tool for the Academy."
Roller said the TG-16 is aesthetically pleasing and white instead of yellow. It also features a lightning bolt symbol similar to those on the Falcons' athletic gear.
"It's a good-looking glider," Roller said. "These gliders are a brand new look for the Academy, a new face to the soaring program and are made of fiber-glass instead of sheet metal. It's leading-edge soaring equipment."
The TG-16 is an overall upgrade because it's a newer product, can soar faster and has an extended service life, Roller said.
"The TG-10 had a 28-to-1 glide ratio and the TG-16 has approximately a 42-to-1 ratio," Roller said.
The biggest challenge with the new model has been getting cadets qualified in time to fly the TG-16 and get through the program, Roller said.
"Due to the use of a new airplane, a new technical order had to be written and cadets will have to restudy and relearn how to fly the airplane," Roller said. "A lot of work has taken place behind the scenes to transition to this new model. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach top airmanship, leadership and victory."
The TG-16s were first tested at Edwards Air Force base, Calif., to ensure Air Force regulations were met before they were shipped to the Academy.
Roller said new cadets began to use the new plane July 16. He said the core of the mission is for cadets to be leaders on the airfield and run the program on their own.
"We have the youngest instructor pilots in the country and train the most inexperienced," Roller said. "These young men and women are making life and death decisions flying solo in these planes. Our goal is to develop leaders of character and I think these new airplanes will help achieve that. I'm looking forward to them excelling in this model."
Air Force Academy Public Affairs
7/27/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The TG-10C gliders that have been the Academy's sailplane of choice for basic and aerobatic training for the last decade ascended for its final flight here Monday.
The TG-10 trainer, which has been replaced by the new German TG-16A model, was flown for the last time on Academy grounds by Cadet 2nd Class Kurt Luithly, who flew the plane as a check ride to upgrade as a cadet instructor pilot. His evaluator, Lt. Col. Jeff Riddlebarger, an Air Force reservist, said it was one of the best check rides he'd seen.
"Luithly was very successful due to excellent discipline standards and leadership," said Lt. Col. Richard Roller, commander of the 94th Flying Training Squadron. "That's what the soaring program is all about: discipline, enthusiasm and teamwork."
Twelve TG-10 planes were brought to the Academy in May 2002 and used to give cadets firsthand experience flying an aircraft. The planes are no longer being manufactured but can still be flown and were transferred to the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol.
"They were used for 140,000 flights," Roller said. The TG-10 flew as high as 24,000 feet and had a record duration of 6.1 hours.
The Academy has received 15 TG-16s and will import four more. Five are smoke-capable and can perform aerial demonstrations. The remaining 14 are non-smoke capable and will be used for training purposes only.
"I'm really looking forward to training cadets again with the TG-16 as well as taking it on the road to air shows and hopefully football games," Roller said. "It's a great recruiting tool for the Academy."
Roller said the TG-16 is aesthetically pleasing and white instead of yellow. It also features a lightning bolt symbol similar to those on the Falcons' athletic gear.
"It's a good-looking glider," Roller said. "These gliders are a brand new look for the Academy, a new face to the soaring program and are made of fiber-glass instead of sheet metal. It's leading-edge soaring equipment."
The TG-16 is an overall upgrade because it's a newer product, can soar faster and has an extended service life, Roller said.
"The TG-10 had a 28-to-1 glide ratio and the TG-16 has approximately a 42-to-1 ratio," Roller said.
The biggest challenge with the new model has been getting cadets qualified in time to fly the TG-16 and get through the program, Roller said.
"Due to the use of a new airplane, a new technical order had to be written and cadets will have to restudy and relearn how to fly the airplane," Roller said. "A lot of work has taken place behind the scenes to transition to this new model. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach top airmanship, leadership and victory."
The TG-16s were first tested at Edwards Air Force base, Calif., to ensure Air Force regulations were met before they were shipped to the Academy.
Roller said new cadets began to use the new plane July 16. He said the core of the mission is for cadets to be leaders on the airfield and run the program on their own.
"We have the youngest instructor pilots in the country and train the most inexperienced," Roller said. "These young men and women are making life and death decisions flying solo in these planes. Our goal is to develop leaders of character and I think these new airplanes will help achieve that. I'm looking forward to them excelling in this model."
Rescue efforts combine in force during Red Flag 12-4
by Master Sgt. Sonny Cohrs
23d Wing Public Affairs
7/30/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Air combat exercises like Red Flag 12-4 puts pilots to the test in the air, but for one B-1B Lancer pilot his skills were tested on the ground as well.
The Nevada Test and Training Range serves as the aerial playground for war games during Red Flag. With more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land, NTTR offers pilots and other aircrew members a unique environment and terrain coupled with training scenarios that are not possible elsewhere. Their mission July 24: recover two isolated personnel from the remote Nevada desert.
Acting as downed aircrew for this combat search and rescue exercise was U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Kyle Harrington, a B-1 bomber pilot with the 34th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
"I'll be playing [with] a simulated injury - a broken leg," Harrintgon said. "You've got guys hunting you down, and this tests evasions skills and the recovery skills of the A-10 and HH-60. I'll call them and let them know where I'm at and vector them in."
In addition to survival training for Harrington, the mission also served as an upgrade qualification for the A-10 pilot calling the shots from the air. Typically, the slow-moving A-10 is a natural platform for coordinating air assets as the rescue mission commander. Fighters, bombers, refuelers, helicopters and Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft were all dispatched for the rescue effort.
"Yesterday was an upgrade for me, and my first look at being a rescue mission commander," said Capt. Ryan Allen, an A-10C pilot with the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "We coordinated all of the assets to rescue isolated personnel or downed aircrew. We had air-to-air, air-to-ground and a rescue mission. We had 50-plus aircraft that were out there - F-15s, F-16s, tankers and AWACS."
As Harrington scrambled to get to a designated rendezvous spot for pickup, Allen orchestrated more than 50 aircraft into position in the NTTR airspace. This was my fist time leading the rescue mission effort," he said. "The biggest takeaway was the mission integration; being able to have a lot of people who could tell me what they can bring to the fight."
Once Harrington's location was confirmed by Allen, he relayed that information to other aerial assets in the area to coordinate the pickup at the landing zone.
"His position was about 150 meters northeast of our original coordinates," said Capt. Brian Campbell, 66th Rescue Squadron HH-60 pilot at Nellis. "There was a little bit of a delay - 15-30 seconds of searching when we came over that ridge line. It's a lot more difficult to see him in that terrain. Our gunner got eyes on first and the co-pilot made the approach to the landing zone."
Campbell said typical training with the 66th RQS consists of a two-ship helicopter formation, with man simulations for other airframes, but having the fast-moving fighters interact with the much slower helicopters adds a certain realism.
"We don't get to do CSAR task forces a lot. The opportunity to participate in a large force exercise is somewhat unique. They're used to a quick air war, but with the helos it takes us longer," he said. And although Harrington wasn't in control of his B-1B for this scenario, he still understands how important training like this at Red Flag is. "The biggest thing I take away is how the B-1 flows with the other platforms and the specific piece it fills during a combat mission. Back home, it's just us. We very rarely get dissimilar aircraft training. This is great training for integration."
After nearly three hours of evading simulated enemy personnel, Harrington successfully made his way 1.8 miles to the extraction zone. By his side for safety was a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist.
"I'm there for safety and making sure he gets to the right spot to conduct training for the guys in the air," said Senior Airman Kevin Webb, a SERE specialist deployed from the 22nd Training Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. "I think he did great," Webb said. "He followed all of his communications procedures - that's one of the most important things: staying in contact with the recovery personnel. As long as you have comm, they can suppress fire and bring in resources. He signaled at the proper time - that's why the helicopter came straight to us. Speed is always security with a CSAR task force."
23d Wing Public Affairs
7/30/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Air combat exercises like Red Flag 12-4 puts pilots to the test in the air, but for one B-1B Lancer pilot his skills were tested on the ground as well.
The Nevada Test and Training Range serves as the aerial playground for war games during Red Flag. With more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land, NTTR offers pilots and other aircrew members a unique environment and terrain coupled with training scenarios that are not possible elsewhere. Their mission July 24: recover two isolated personnel from the remote Nevada desert.
Acting as downed aircrew for this combat search and rescue exercise was U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Kyle Harrington, a B-1 bomber pilot with the 34th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
"I'll be playing [with] a simulated injury - a broken leg," Harrintgon said. "You've got guys hunting you down, and this tests evasions skills and the recovery skills of the A-10 and HH-60. I'll call them and let them know where I'm at and vector them in."
In addition to survival training for Harrington, the mission also served as an upgrade qualification for the A-10 pilot calling the shots from the air. Typically, the slow-moving A-10 is a natural platform for coordinating air assets as the rescue mission commander. Fighters, bombers, refuelers, helicopters and Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft were all dispatched for the rescue effort.
"Yesterday was an upgrade for me, and my first look at being a rescue mission commander," said Capt. Ryan Allen, an A-10C pilot with the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "We coordinated all of the assets to rescue isolated personnel or downed aircrew. We had air-to-air, air-to-ground and a rescue mission. We had 50-plus aircraft that were out there - F-15s, F-16s, tankers and AWACS."
As Harrington scrambled to get to a designated rendezvous spot for pickup, Allen orchestrated more than 50 aircraft into position in the NTTR airspace. This was my fist time leading the rescue mission effort," he said. "The biggest takeaway was the mission integration; being able to have a lot of people who could tell me what they can bring to the fight."
Once Harrington's location was confirmed by Allen, he relayed that information to other aerial assets in the area to coordinate the pickup at the landing zone.
"His position was about 150 meters northeast of our original coordinates," said Capt. Brian Campbell, 66th Rescue Squadron HH-60 pilot at Nellis. "There was a little bit of a delay - 15-30 seconds of searching when we came over that ridge line. It's a lot more difficult to see him in that terrain. Our gunner got eyes on first and the co-pilot made the approach to the landing zone."
Campbell said typical training with the 66th RQS consists of a two-ship helicopter formation, with man simulations for other airframes, but having the fast-moving fighters interact with the much slower helicopters adds a certain realism.
"We don't get to do CSAR task forces a lot. The opportunity to participate in a large force exercise is somewhat unique. They're used to a quick air war, but with the helos it takes us longer," he said. And although Harrington wasn't in control of his B-1B for this scenario, he still understands how important training like this at Red Flag is. "The biggest thing I take away is how the B-1 flows with the other platforms and the specific piece it fills during a combat mission. Back home, it's just us. We very rarely get dissimilar aircraft training. This is great training for integration."
After nearly three hours of evading simulated enemy personnel, Harrington successfully made his way 1.8 miles to the extraction zone. By his side for safety was a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist.
"I'm there for safety and making sure he gets to the right spot to conduct training for the guys in the air," said Senior Airman Kevin Webb, a SERE specialist deployed from the 22nd Training Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. "I think he did great," Webb said. "He followed all of his communications procedures - that's one of the most important things: staying in contact with the recovery personnel. As long as you have comm, they can suppress fire and bring in resources. He signaled at the proper time - that's why the helicopter came straight to us. Speed is always security with a CSAR task force."
Joining Forces Exceeds Expectations, Director Says
By Lisa Daniel
When First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden started the “Joining Forces” campaign 15 months ago, they did so with the goal of creating impactful and lasting health, education and employment support for military families.
The campaign had two significant achievements this week that its director, Navy Capt. Brad Cooper, told me hit both of those marks.
First, North Carolina became the 26th state to pass a law making it easier for military spouses to transfer their professional licenses. South Carolina and Hawaii passed similar laws in recent weeks, potentially affecting tens of thousands of military spouses, Cooper said. With similar legislation pending in California, Ohio and New Jersey, the campaign is “exceeding our expectations” in getting laws passed in all 50 states by the end of 2014, he said.
“As I take step back and look this – and my dad was an Army officer – this signals a pretty remarkable cultural shift,” Cooper said. “I remember my mother — as well as my wife, spouses of my friends — were reluctant even to indicate they were military spouses” to prospective employers, he said.
Second, the National Association of Social Workers, at its annual convention here this week, announced it is launching a free, online training course for all social workers to better understand the unique needs of military families. It also is providing a set of standards for working with veterans and military families, and is creating a professional Credential for Social Work with Veterans and Military Families.
Social workers are considered the nation’s frontline mental health services providers, and they practice in every county in the country. The NASW represents 650,000 of them. Its pledge to Joining Forces follows that of the four largest nursing associations, representing 3 million nurses, and the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, with 105 and 25 schools, respectively, in training doctors to serve military families and veterans. The Association of Marriage and Therapy Therapists also has signed on, as well as associations representing psychiatrists, psychologists and surgeons.
“This really represents, to me, not just the impactful piece, but the sustaining piece,” Cooper said.
Spouses’ and veterans’ employment also has made major strides, Cooper said. More than 2,000 companies have signed on already hiring 25,000 spouses and 65,000 veterans, and pledging to hire another 175,000 in the next two years, helping bring down the veterans’ unemployment rate, he said.
“This really is the largest outreach and advocacy efforts we’ve had on behalf of veterans and their families for years,” Cooper said.
Joining Forces has been successful, he said, because “we’ve been able to breach through years and years of bureaucracy and bring people together and focus them on the effort.” All they needed was leadership and direction, he added.
“People, generally, want to be helpful,” Cooper said. “They don’t always know what they can do. Our objective is to steer them to meaningful action.”
Joining Forces’ efforts have caught the attention of military spouses.
The campaign had two significant achievements this week that its director, Navy Capt. Brad Cooper, told me hit both of those marks.
First, North Carolina became the 26th state to pass a law making it easier for military spouses to transfer their professional licenses. South Carolina and Hawaii passed similar laws in recent weeks, potentially affecting tens of thousands of military spouses, Cooper said. With similar legislation pending in California, Ohio and New Jersey, the campaign is “exceeding our expectations” in getting laws passed in all 50 states by the end of 2014, he said.
“As I take step back and look this – and my dad was an Army officer – this signals a pretty remarkable cultural shift,” Cooper said. “I remember my mother — as well as my wife, spouses of my friends — were reluctant even to indicate they were military spouses” to prospective employers, he said.
Second, the National Association of Social Workers, at its annual convention here this week, announced it is launching a free, online training course for all social workers to better understand the unique needs of military families. It also is providing a set of standards for working with veterans and military families, and is creating a professional Credential for Social Work with Veterans and Military Families.
Social workers are considered the nation’s frontline mental health services providers, and they practice in every county in the country. The NASW represents 650,000 of them. Its pledge to Joining Forces follows that of the four largest nursing associations, representing 3 million nurses, and the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, with 105 and 25 schools, respectively, in training doctors to serve military families and veterans. The Association of Marriage and Therapy Therapists also has signed on, as well as associations representing psychiatrists, psychologists and surgeons.
“This really represents, to me, not just the impactful piece, but the sustaining piece,” Cooper said.
Spouses’ and veterans’ employment also has made major strides, Cooper said. More than 2,000 companies have signed on already hiring 25,000 spouses and 65,000 veterans, and pledging to hire another 175,000 in the next two years, helping bring down the veterans’ unemployment rate, he said.
“This really is the largest outreach and advocacy efforts we’ve had on behalf of veterans and their families for years,” Cooper said.
Joining Forces has been successful, he said, because “we’ve been able to breach through years and years of bureaucracy and bring people together and focus them on the effort.” All they needed was leadership and direction, he added.
“People, generally, want to be helpful,” Cooper said. “They don’t always know what they can do. Our objective is to steer them to meaningful action.”
Joining Forces’ efforts have caught the attention of military spouses.
Training exercises enhance international relations
by Charles Ramey
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
7/30/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- Central Colombia and southern Nevada are vastly different locations. The terrain, weather and operational environments between each location vary to the extremes. So what drives an air force to briefly trade the jungles of South America for the desert of the American southwest? The answer is world-class, realistic air combat training that can't be acquired anywhere else.
July 16-27, Colombia became the 29th nation to participate in Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base.
With eight Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir multi-role fighters, and Boeing 707 and 767 tankers, the Colombian air force deployed beyond its borders for the first time to participate in the two-week large force employment exercise.
As part of a 60-aircraft mission package, the Colombian air force supported air interdiction strikes, combat search and rescue operations, SCUD hunts, location of high value targets, and defensive counter-air missions.
"The aircraft are compatible for the missions given to us and doing well here at Nellis," said Colombian Brig. Gen. Carlos Bueno, commander of the 100-plus-person Colombian contingent participating in Red Flag. "At first, our pilots felt a little intimidated by the size and complexity of the exercise, but they quickly moved beyond that as they saw how they contribute to the overall mission."
The Colombian air force, which has extensive experience in precision engagement via counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations, primarily supported air-to-ground operations throughout the exercise.
"These guys are good," said Maj. Mike Culhane, an F-15C pilot from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, and a mission package planner during Red Flag 12-4. "Our plans relied on their precision strike capabilities to take out enemy threats, and they hit their targets on every mission. They were integral to our overall success."
For the Colombian air force, Red Flag began long before July 16. The country started working with the U.S. Air Force Mission in Colombia to begin planning for the exercise when it was invited to participate in 2011.
"The 12-month program consisted of English language training where the pilots had to score an 85 percent or higher on proficiency tests and a series of flying competency assessments, " said Col. Hans Palaoro, chief of the U.S. Air Force Mission-Colombia. "They also participated in a series of mini practices in Colombia, then deployed to Kelly Field, Texas, for a final checkout before coming to Nellis."
Partnering with the Colombian air force via exercises and other activities is a priority for the U.S. Air Force.
"Efforts in the areas of precision strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance have paid huge dividends for both countries as we work together to counter drug trafficking and insurgency," said Col. Michael Reed, chief of Strategy and Plans in the Secretary of the Air Force's International Affairs division. "We will continue to work with Colombia on a host of air force issues in order to increase our collective security. Colombian air force participation in Red Flag provides a perfect opportunity for us to learn valuable lessons from one another, and will serve to strengthen our strategically important relationship."
For the Colombians, the feelings are mutual.
"It's been amazing and great to work with other aircrews and share our stories and combat experience," Bueno said. "We've learned a lot of lessons that will help improve our interoperability with the U.S. Air Force and we hope to return for more exercises in the future."
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
7/30/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- Central Colombia and southern Nevada are vastly different locations. The terrain, weather and operational environments between each location vary to the extremes. So what drives an air force to briefly trade the jungles of South America for the desert of the American southwest? The answer is world-class, realistic air combat training that can't be acquired anywhere else.
July 16-27, Colombia became the 29th nation to participate in Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base.
With eight Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir multi-role fighters, and Boeing 707 and 767 tankers, the Colombian air force deployed beyond its borders for the first time to participate in the two-week large force employment exercise.
As part of a 60-aircraft mission package, the Colombian air force supported air interdiction strikes, combat search and rescue operations, SCUD hunts, location of high value targets, and defensive counter-air missions.
"The aircraft are compatible for the missions given to us and doing well here at Nellis," said Colombian Brig. Gen. Carlos Bueno, commander of the 100-plus-person Colombian contingent participating in Red Flag. "At first, our pilots felt a little intimidated by the size and complexity of the exercise, but they quickly moved beyond that as they saw how they contribute to the overall mission."
The Colombian air force, which has extensive experience in precision engagement via counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations, primarily supported air-to-ground operations throughout the exercise.
"These guys are good," said Maj. Mike Culhane, an F-15C pilot from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, and a mission package planner during Red Flag 12-4. "Our plans relied on their precision strike capabilities to take out enemy threats, and they hit their targets on every mission. They were integral to our overall success."
For the Colombian air force, Red Flag began long before July 16. The country started working with the U.S. Air Force Mission in Colombia to begin planning for the exercise when it was invited to participate in 2011.
"The 12-month program consisted of English language training where the pilots had to score an 85 percent or higher on proficiency tests and a series of flying competency assessments, " said Col. Hans Palaoro, chief of the U.S. Air Force Mission-Colombia. "They also participated in a series of mini practices in Colombia, then deployed to Kelly Field, Texas, for a final checkout before coming to Nellis."
Partnering with the Colombian air force via exercises and other activities is a priority for the U.S. Air Force.
"Efforts in the areas of precision strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance have paid huge dividends for both countries as we work together to counter drug trafficking and insurgency," said Col. Michael Reed, chief of Strategy and Plans in the Secretary of the Air Force's International Affairs division. "We will continue to work with Colombia on a host of air force issues in order to increase our collective security. Colombian air force participation in Red Flag provides a perfect opportunity for us to learn valuable lessons from one another, and will serve to strengthen our strategically important relationship."
For the Colombians, the feelings are mutual.
"It's been amazing and great to work with other aircrews and share our stories and combat experience," Bueno said. "We've learned a lot of lessons that will help improve our interoperability with the U.S. Air Force and we hope to return for more exercises in the future."
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Jitters Get Best of Uptagrafft in Olympic Pistol Debut
by Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
LONDON, July 29, 2012 - Despite having a difficult Olympic debut, Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft's experience in London today featured enough goosebumps and memories to last a lifetime.
|
Uptagrafft,
wife of Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptatgrafft of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit,
finished 28th with a score of 378 in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at
the Royal Artillery Barracks.
First-time Olympic jitters, common to many shooters who toe the line for the first time on the world's grandest stage, led to a result that was not in her game plan.
"Once I hit the match button, it hit me that I am at the Olympic Games, and it kind of took me out of my rhythm," Sandra said. "It took me a while to settle down and refocus. That's what I was able to do my last two strings. It's really disappointing, because I knew going into the match that this would happen."
China's Wenjen Guo won the gold medal with a total score of 488.1 points. France's Celine Goberville (486.6) claimed the silver. Ukraine's Olena Kostevych (486.6) took the bronze.
Adding to Uptagrafft's displeasure was the fact that her sister Andrea traveled from Singapore yesterday to watch her compete in a match for the first time. Sandra said she was thinking, 'This is not an example of what to do,' and that she was disheartened because her sister saw her shoot poorly.
The outcome, though, had no bearing on the joy Andrea experienced while watching her sister compete in the biggest sporting event in the world.
"It was pretty cool," Andrea said. "I was surprised everyone was so calm and calculated. I was trying to keep calm as well, because I was slightly nervous and hoping for her to do well. I am very proud of her. I know this whole thing is overwhelming."
After the match, the sisters shared a hug. Uptagrafft's husband, however, was not there for the reunion. Eric missed his wife's Olympic debut because of a lack of training space at the Olympic shooting venue for upcoming competitors, which forced several Team USA shooters to return to Denmark to train.
Eric will compete Aug. 3 in men's prone rifle. Although he missed Sandra's match, they were able to share something much more memorable when they walked together in the Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium on the night of July 27. That was a moment Sandra said she will never forget.
"Walking into the opening ceremonies was the ultimate high," she said. "I still get goosebumps thinking about it now. To walk the opening ceremonies with my husband, hand-in-hand, just made it that much more meaningful and something I will carry the rest of my life."
Uptagrafft said she enjoyed the camaraderie and support exhibited by all of the U.S. shooters, something they normally do not get to share, because most matches are spread around the world. The venues and the athletes' village have been great, she said.
With one event completed, Sandra is ready to compete again Aug. 1 in the women's 25-meter sport pistol event.
"I definitely had a learning experience here, and I am hoping to take what I learned in this match and take it into my next one," she said. "Hopefully, this got the jitters out of the way, and if I can execute my shot plan, I hope to find myself in the finals."
Army Spouse Competes in First Medal Event of Olympics
By Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
LONDON, July 29, 2012 - In front of an enthusiastic crowd eager to witness presentation of the first medals of the London Olympic Games, Jamie Gray, wife of a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit soldier, competed in women's 10-meter air rifle yesterday at the Royal Artillery Barracks here.
|
Gray,
a two-time Olympian, finished fifth after making the final in the event for her
second consecutive Olympics. She shot a qualification score of 397, followed
with a final round of 102.7 for an overall score of 499.7, a little more than
three points behind China's Siling Yi, who prevailed with 502.9 points.
Sylwia Bogacka of Poland won the silver medal with 502.2 points, and was followed by bronze medalist Dan Yu of China with 501.5.
"Personally, I think I shot 39 great shots," said Gray, who finished fourth in air rifle at the Beijing Games. "You can't ask for more than that. I knew I had to have a great final to have a chance. Bottom line is you can't win a medal with a 397. It's not good enough at the Olympics."
The day was a roller coaster of sorts for Gray, who is married to Army Staff Sgt. Hank Gray. After an equipment problem had her scurrying for tools and a quick fix, she started with a perfect 100 before shooting a 99 and a 98. Two of the three dropped shots were 9.9s, meaning she missed two more 10s by mere millimeters.
On the outside looking in with 10 shots to go, Gray nailed all 10 in the center ring, putting her into a five-woman shoot-off for the four remaining spots in the eight-person finale.
Among those in the shoot-off were U.S. teammate Sarah Scherer and good friend Katerina Emmons, the 2008 Beijing gold medalist in the event, who hails from the Czech Republic. All three women made the final.
"Of course, I was pulling for all three of us to make it," Gray said. "At the same time, my focus was on my own shooting, so I couldn't worry about what they were doing."
Heading into the final, Gray, a native of Lebanon, Pa., was in sixth place, but only one point out of medal contention. After the first three shots, she found herself in eighth place along with an old back problem that started to flare up. Similar to the qualification round, she forged ahead and clawed back into contention with a solid string of shots, but time ran out on her quest for a medal.
"She's always been a fighter," said Maj. Dave Johnson, the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and USA Shooting rifle coach. "We've had her on the team since she was 16. She exhibited that toughness back then and still does."
Europe is known as the home of shooting, and the local competitors did not disappoint. The atmosphere was more fitting for an NCAA Final Four game, as the sold-out crowd made for a scene like no other in shooting sports. Music blared while the finalists prepared for the final round, and spectators from around the globe waved their countries' flags.
"The crowd was amazing," Gray said. "We don't have that outside of a final in our sport in the States. It was awesome. I think it would be awesome if every match was like that."
Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee, was among those in attendance to watch the event. Yi came into the match heavily favored and came out on top after a competitive back-and-forth competition with Bogacka and fellow countryman.
"I was up since 5 in the morning," said Yi. "There was a lot of pressure on me. I was quite nervous, but just focused on the competition."
The mission now for Gray and the coaches is to move on and refocus her attention to her next event, women's three-position rifle. Gray will have to wait seven days before getting another chance at a medal, which is a blessing in disguise, she said, because of her recurring back pain.
"It's great to have a break and try to get that under control," Gray said. "I am excited to get on the range tomorrow and get some range time and get in positions again now that air gun is over."
Gray just missed a medal in three events during her Olympic career, and despite a bad back, equipment issues or anything else that may disrupt her normal routine, her coach said there is no doubt that she will be game-ready for her next event.
"In Beijing, she just missed a medal and it was painful, but the experience helped her shoot well a couple days later," Johnson said. "She just got more experience in a final again with this match. I expect her to make another final, and we'll see what happens."
Panetta: Aleppo Attacks Will Cause Assad’s Downfall
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 29, 2012 – The Syrian regime’s attacks on the citizens of Aleppo ultimately will be “a nail in Assad’s coffin,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.
Panetta is traveling to North Africa and the Middle East for a series of meetings, and Syria figures prominently in his conversations in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.
Bashar Assad’s forces have launched heavy attacks against Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. The violence that the regime is launching against its own people will ensure that the regime will fall eventually, Panetta told reporters traveling with him.
The international community has brought economic and diplomatic pressure on Syria to stop the violence and to have Assad step down for a transition to a democratic form of government. “The key right now is to continue to bring that pressure to bear on Syria to provide assistance to the opposition and to provide whatever humanitarian aid we can to assist the refugees,” Panetta said en route to Tunisia.
The United States must not do anything to show that the international community is anything other than unified in the effort to bring the Assad regime down, the secretary said.
Panetta also discussed the chemical and biological warfare sites in Syria that U.S. planners say need to be secured. “We’ve been in close coordination with countries in the region to ensure that this is happening,” the secretary said.
The United States also is working with Turkey and Jordan to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria.
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 29, 2012 – The Syrian regime’s attacks on the citizens of Aleppo ultimately will be “a nail in Assad’s coffin,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.
Panetta is traveling to North Africa and the Middle East for a series of meetings, and Syria figures prominently in his conversations in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.
Bashar Assad’s forces have launched heavy attacks against Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. The violence that the regime is launching against its own people will ensure that the regime will fall eventually, Panetta told reporters traveling with him.
The international community has brought economic and diplomatic pressure on Syria to stop the violence and to have Assad step down for a transition to a democratic form of government. “The key right now is to continue to bring that pressure to bear on Syria to provide assistance to the opposition and to provide whatever humanitarian aid we can to assist the refugees,” Panetta said en route to Tunisia.
The United States must not do anything to show that the international community is anything other than unified in the effort to bring the Assad regime down, the secretary said.
Panetta also discussed the chemical and biological warfare sites in Syria that U.S. planners say need to be secured. “We’ve been in close coordination with countries in the region to ensure that this is happening,” the secretary said.
The United States also is working with Turkey and Jordan to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria.
Secretary Begins Trip to North Africa, Middle East
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 29, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta
said today that North Africa and the Middle East present a confluence of
challenges he will explore during his trip to the region.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him, the secretary described what he
wants to accomplish during his visits to Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
This is the secretary’s first trip to Tunisia. “I want to commend the
Tunisian people on the success of their revolution and to thank the Tunisian
armed forces for the positive role they play during that time of change,” he
said during a news conference aboard his aircraft. “The United States continues
to support efforts to strengthen Tunisia’s democracy, and DOD will play an
important role in that effort.”
U.S. personnel will partner more closely with Tunisian service members on a
range of common regional security challenges, Panetta said. Tunisian leaders, he
added, have growing concerns about how to deal with the al-Qaida in the Islamic
Maghreb terrorist organization and about how to protect their borders.
Panetta will speak with leaders in Tunisia and Egypt about stability and
reform amid the changes of the Arab Awakening. In Egypt, the secretary will
speak with leaders about finishing the transition to civilian rule and the need
to provide for “as broad a coalition as possible,” he said.
The United States has had a strong military-to-military relationship with
Egypt since the 1970s, and Panetta said he wants that relationship to continue
and grow.
In Israel, the secretary said, he looks to strengthen the already close
alliance. In Jordan, he wants to speak to leaders bearing the humanitarian
burden caused by the fighting in Syria.
Tunisia and Egypt represent opportunity for the region, Panetta said, noting
that both countries overthrew dictatorships and both have transitioned to
democratic rule. “Yet at the same time,” he added, “we are obviously dealing
with the continuing threat of extremism, of terrorism, of violence in Syria and
the continuing destabilizing behavior in Iran.”
At each stop, the secretary said, he will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to
stability in the region.
“Our goal is to advance security by supporting peaceful change throughout the
region,” he said. “This means establishing strong partnerships with new
democratic governments in the region.”
Panetta to Explore ‘Big Buckets’ of Issues on Trip
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta begins a trip to North Africa and the Middle East today to meet with leaders and take the temperature of a crucial and volatile region.
Panetta will visit Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
The region has seen great change in the past year and a half. Peaceful, democratic change has taken place since the Arab Spring, but Syria, Iran and extremism in general have continued to pose challenges. The secretary “will touch on both big buckets of issues” during the trip, a senior defense official, told reporters, speaking on background.
Tunisia began the wave of change in the region when its government was overthrown in January 2011. Protests erupted in other Arab nations, and Egyptians overthrew their government in February 2011. That same month, rebels in Libya began taking action against the government and finally beat the forces of Moammar Gadhafi in August. NATO and Arab nations intervened in the Libyan conflict on the rebel side.
In Yemen, protests drove the government from power in February. Syrians rose against the government of Bashar Assad, but forces loyal to the regime are fighting in many parts of the country. Effects of the protest movement were felt around the Arab world. Protests occurred in Bahrain, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Tunisia and Egypt are farthest along the road.
“The message [of Panetta’s visit] is just general support for what has happened in Tunisia,” the official said. “It’s been a relatively stable and successful transition in Tunisia.”
Tunisia has huge economic challenges, and these will be discussed, but Panetta plans to lay out the roadmap for the future military-to-military relationship between the United States and Tunisia, the official said in his meetings with leaders there. “The military has played a positive role in Tunisia,” he added, “and we want that to continue.”
In Egypt, Panetta will meet with newly elected President Muhammad Mursi and with Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. Panetta has been in constant touch with Tantawi since former President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. Tantawi led the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which ruled Egypt between the overthrow and the installation of the elected president.
The secretary also will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. The men will discuss the whole raft of issues, the defense official said, including regional affairs, the threats to Israel and U.S. interests in the region and the way forward.
Panetta also will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. “Our defense partnership is extremely close,” the official said. “The level of interaction of U.S. government officials with Israeli counterparts has been very intense.”
In Jordan, the secretary will discuss important bilateral defense issues with King Abdullah.
“Syria will obviously be a topic of conversation, as the Jordanians are on the front line of that,” the official said. “The secretary wants to hear more about the humanitarian situation – Jordan and Turkey are bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis.”
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta begins a trip to North Africa and the Middle East today to meet with leaders and take the temperature of a crucial and volatile region.
Panetta will visit Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
The region has seen great change in the past year and a half. Peaceful, democratic change has taken place since the Arab Spring, but Syria, Iran and extremism in general have continued to pose challenges. The secretary “will touch on both big buckets of issues” during the trip, a senior defense official, told reporters, speaking on background.
Tunisia began the wave of change in the region when its government was overthrown in January 2011. Protests erupted in other Arab nations, and Egyptians overthrew their government in February 2011. That same month, rebels in Libya began taking action against the government and finally beat the forces of Moammar Gadhafi in August. NATO and Arab nations intervened in the Libyan conflict on the rebel side.
In Yemen, protests drove the government from power in February. Syrians rose against the government of Bashar Assad, but forces loyal to the regime are fighting in many parts of the country. Effects of the protest movement were felt around the Arab world. Protests occurred in Bahrain, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Tunisia and Egypt are farthest along the road.
“The message [of Panetta’s visit] is just general support for what has happened in Tunisia,” the official said. “It’s been a relatively stable and successful transition in Tunisia.”
Tunisia has huge economic challenges, and these will be discussed, but Panetta plans to lay out the roadmap for the future military-to-military relationship between the United States and Tunisia, the official said in his meetings with leaders there. “The military has played a positive role in Tunisia,” he added, “and we want that to continue.”
In Egypt, Panetta will meet with newly elected President Muhammad Mursi and with Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. Panetta has been in constant touch with Tantawi since former President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. Tantawi led the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which ruled Egypt between the overthrow and the installation of the elected president.
The secretary also will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. The men will discuss the whole raft of issues, the defense official said, including regional affairs, the threats to Israel and U.S. interests in the region and the way forward.
Panetta also will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. “Our defense partnership is extremely close,” the official said. “The level of interaction of U.S. government officials with Israeli counterparts has been very intense.”
In Jordan, the secretary will discuss important bilateral defense issues with King Abdullah.
“Syria will obviously be a topic of conversation, as the Jordanians are on the front line of that,” the official said. “The secretary wants to hear more about the humanitarian situation – Jordan and Turkey are bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis.”
Army Olympian to Teach Race Walking on ‘Today’
By Gary Sheftick
Army News Service
LONDON, July 29, 2012 – Army Olympian Staff Sgt. John Nunn will teach Americans how to race walk tomorrow morning on NBC’s “Today” show.
Nunn and his Olympic teammate, Maria Michta, spent yesterday afternoon teaching the program’s cast members the finer points of their event. After some instruction, NBC broadcasters Al Roker, Matt Lauer and Ryan Seacrest joined Nunn for a lap around the track.
Meanwhile, Michta coached Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales and Meredith Vieira and urged them to try to defeat the men in a race that will highlight the televised segment.
NBC producers said they selected race walking as the sport to showcase because it’s fun, interesting and unfamiliar to most Americans.
Race walking has more of a following in countries such as China and Russia, Nunn said. He and Michta said they hope the “Today” segment will help to make the sport more popular in America.
In race walking, one foot must remain in contact with the ground at all times. The toes of the athlete's back foot cannot leave the ground until the heel of the front foot has touched. The front leg must straighten when it touches the ground and remain straight until the body passes directly over it.
Athletes stay low to the ground by keeping their arms pumping close to their hips. They keep their strides short and quick and push off from the balls of their feet.
After trying it out, Vieira said race walking is more difficult than running. Other “Today” cast members agreed the sport is harder than it looks.
Nunn, 34, has been race walking since he was a youngster. He is a 12-year veteran of the U.S Army World Class Athlete Program and has been training on and off with the program since 2000. He competed under WCAP at the 2004 Olympics, finishing 26th in the 20-kilometer race walk in Athens, Greece.
Nunn is a five-time U.S. National silver medalist in the 20k race walk, but has trained for less than eight months for the 50k race walk, a 31-mile across-terrain event he won at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this year and will compete in here Aug. 11.
Nunn said he wants to focus on the 50k in the future, adding that he’d like to stay with the Army and continue training after the London Games.
Nunn said the Army has helped him focus. From basic training onward, he added, the Army has taught him many things, including discipline and how to focus on benchmarks.
“The Army has really taught me how to bring it all in together and realize what is important,” Nunn said.
Nunn’s teammate, Michta, said she has looked up to the soldier since she began competitive race walking as a young teenager.
“I was in high school the first time I met John, [and] he was one of those big-league Olympian race-walker guys,” said Michta, 26. “In race¬ walking … it’s a tight-knit crowd, so you look up to all the senior athletes.”
Michta said Nunn has helped her in London by telling her what to expect.
“It’s great to hear from the veterans who know the ropes,” she said.
Nunn is a single parent, and his 8-year-old daughter, Ella, will join him in London, where the 50-kilometer race-walk course will cover city streets and pass by Buckingham Palace.
Army News Service
LONDON, July 29, 2012 – Army Olympian Staff Sgt. John Nunn will teach Americans how to race walk tomorrow morning on NBC’s “Today” show.
Nunn and his Olympic teammate, Maria Michta, spent yesterday afternoon teaching the program’s cast members the finer points of their event. After some instruction, NBC broadcasters Al Roker, Matt Lauer and Ryan Seacrest joined Nunn for a lap around the track.
Meanwhile, Michta coached Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales and Meredith Vieira and urged them to try to defeat the men in a race that will highlight the televised segment.
NBC producers said they selected race walking as the sport to showcase because it’s fun, interesting and unfamiliar to most Americans.
Race walking has more of a following in countries such as China and Russia, Nunn said. He and Michta said they hope the “Today” segment will help to make the sport more popular in America.
In race walking, one foot must remain in contact with the ground at all times. The toes of the athlete's back foot cannot leave the ground until the heel of the front foot has touched. The front leg must straighten when it touches the ground and remain straight until the body passes directly over it.
Athletes stay low to the ground by keeping their arms pumping close to their hips. They keep their strides short and quick and push off from the balls of their feet.
After trying it out, Vieira said race walking is more difficult than running. Other “Today” cast members agreed the sport is harder than it looks.
Nunn, 34, has been race walking since he was a youngster. He is a 12-year veteran of the U.S Army World Class Athlete Program and has been training on and off with the program since 2000. He competed under WCAP at the 2004 Olympics, finishing 26th in the 20-kilometer race walk in Athens, Greece.
Nunn is a five-time U.S. National silver medalist in the 20k race walk, but has trained for less than eight months for the 50k race walk, a 31-mile across-terrain event he won at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this year and will compete in here Aug. 11.
Nunn said he wants to focus on the 50k in the future, adding that he’d like to stay with the Army and continue training after the London Games.
Nunn said the Army has helped him focus. From basic training onward, he added, the Army has taught him many things, including discipline and how to focus on benchmarks.
“The Army has really taught me how to bring it all in together and realize what is important,” Nunn said.
Nunn’s teammate, Michta, said she has looked up to the soldier since she began competitive race walking as a young teenager.
“I was in high school the first time I met John, [and] he was one of those big-league Olympian race-walker guys,” said Michta, 26. “In race¬ walking … it’s a tight-knit crowd, so you look up to all the senior athletes.”
Michta said Nunn has helped her in London by telling her what to expect.
“It’s great to hear from the veterans who know the ropes,” she said.
Nunn is a single parent, and his 8-year-old daughter, Ella, will join him in London, where the 50-kilometer race-walk course will cover city streets and pass by Buckingham Palace.
Academy UAS program continues to mature
by Don Branum
Air Force Academy Public Affairs
7/29/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- Cadets participating in Expeditionary Survival and Evasion Training aren't alone. Throughout the day, winged guardians watch over them, protecting them from harm.
The guardians are Aerosonde Mark IV remotely piloted aircraft, operated by cadet pilots in the 557th Flying Training Squadron facility adjacent to the Academy Airfield. The setup there, with stations and monitors set up to resemble the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia, symbolizes how far the Academy's unmanned aerial system program has evolved in the three years since it started in 2009.
"In the history of the Academy, we've talked about airpower, doctrine and the strategy of how air assets work in a tactical environment," said Lt. Col. John McCurdy, who directs the summer airmanship program. "This is truly game-changer for the Academy. We're not just teaching cadets how to fly the aircraft -- the real value is bringing in the airpower component to their education."
The UAS program started in 2009 with a pair of Viking 300 aircraft and a dirt runway at Camp Red Devil on Fort Carson, Colo., and focused on flight training and familiarization. Today's UAS program goes well beyond that, said Cadet 1st Class Rusty Thomas, who has taken summer UAS courses since 2010.
"I've seen the program change a lot," said Thomas, who is assigned to Cadet Squadron 04. "The scenarios are a lot more realistic, especially working with ESET. If we'd had this my freshman year, it would have been really cool."
Over the years, both cadet instructor pilots and permanent-party staff have contributed to the program's operational feel, Thomas said. Today, cadet UAS instructor pilots work with the ESET joint operations center to support cadets in the field, relaying their taskings via an isolated, fiber-optic network to the air operations center at the airfield. There, cadets determine how best to support their on-ground classmates.
Three cadets operate each Aerosonde: one pilot, one sensor operator and one mission commander, who takes some of the duties normally carried out by the pilot in an operational environment. They communicate over channels using nine-line combat support requests and Internet relay chat, mirroring the operational Air Force environment.
Cadet 2nd Class Derek Richardson of CS 15 is also involved with the summer UAS program. The prior-enlisted Airman favorably compared the Academy's program to what he saw during his Operation Air Force visit to Beale Air Force Base, Calif., earlier this summer.
"A lot of the stuff we learn her correlates directly to how they operate the Global Hawk," he said.
McCurdy said Air Education and Training Command is scheduled to take over the program in the summer of 2014.
Air Force Academy Public Affairs
7/29/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- Cadets participating in Expeditionary Survival and Evasion Training aren't alone. Throughout the day, winged guardians watch over them, protecting them from harm.
The guardians are Aerosonde Mark IV remotely piloted aircraft, operated by cadet pilots in the 557th Flying Training Squadron facility adjacent to the Academy Airfield. The setup there, with stations and monitors set up to resemble the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia, symbolizes how far the Academy's unmanned aerial system program has evolved in the three years since it started in 2009.
"In the history of the Academy, we've talked about airpower, doctrine and the strategy of how air assets work in a tactical environment," said Lt. Col. John McCurdy, who directs the summer airmanship program. "This is truly game-changer for the Academy. We're not just teaching cadets how to fly the aircraft -- the real value is bringing in the airpower component to their education."
The UAS program started in 2009 with a pair of Viking 300 aircraft and a dirt runway at Camp Red Devil on Fort Carson, Colo., and focused on flight training and familiarization. Today's UAS program goes well beyond that, said Cadet 1st Class Rusty Thomas, who has taken summer UAS courses since 2010.
"I've seen the program change a lot," said Thomas, who is assigned to Cadet Squadron 04. "The scenarios are a lot more realistic, especially working with ESET. If we'd had this my freshman year, it would have been really cool."
Over the years, both cadet instructor pilots and permanent-party staff have contributed to the program's operational feel, Thomas said. Today, cadet UAS instructor pilots work with the ESET joint operations center to support cadets in the field, relaying their taskings via an isolated, fiber-optic network to the air operations center at the airfield. There, cadets determine how best to support their on-ground classmates.
Three cadets operate each Aerosonde: one pilot, one sensor operator and one mission commander, who takes some of the duties normally carried out by the pilot in an operational environment. They communicate over channels using nine-line combat support requests and Internet relay chat, mirroring the operational Air Force environment.
Cadet 2nd Class Derek Richardson of CS 15 is also involved with the summer UAS program. The prior-enlisted Airman favorably compared the Academy's program to what he saw during his Operation Air Force visit to Beale Air Force Base, Calif., earlier this summer.
"A lot of the stuff we learn her correlates directly to how they operate the Global Hawk," he said.
McCurdy said Air Education and Training Command is scheduled to take over the program in the summer of 2014.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
