Welder sparks commander's interest

by Tech. Sgt. Emily F. Alley
442d Fighter Wing

1/14/2015 - VALDOSTA, Ga.  -- The commander of the 476th Fighter Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, was so impressed with the work done by Airman in metals fabrication shop that he decided to spend part of the next unit training assemby there to learn more about their craft.

Master Sgt. Kristopher Prouty, an Aircraft Metals Technology craftsman and 2014 Senior NCO of the Year for the 476th FG, arranged a special training session for Col. James Travis.

"The commander was intrigued," Smith recalled Travis' reaction to watching a welding demonstration during a tour of the maintenance shop. "He made a casual statement that he'd like to stop by and try it sometime. We told him, 'anytime, sir.'"

The shop was pleasantly surprised when the commander took himself off flying status to spend half a day with them during the next unit training assembly weekend.

And they were ready.

"We thought up a project, as a group, that incorporated our jobs," Prouty described. "He wanted to be hands-on and see what we do."

They copied the design of the A-10 from a technical order, imposed the outline onto metal sheets, trimmed the sheet into different pieces representing the aircraft's engines, wings and body and left the rest to be finished by the colonel.

During the commander's visit, Prouty taught Travis how to weld using scrap metal.

"We thought he might get bored, but he seemed to really enjoy it," said Prouty, "That was before he even realized what he was making."

Prouty graduated the colonel up to welding the model outline and when the commander began to piece them together he realized what it was.

"It was funny to see his face, when the lights came on and he exclaimed, 'It's an A-10!'" Prouty recalled.

The shop brought out a pre-assembled base and the colonel welded it to the aircraft figure.

"It seemed to mean something to him," said Master Sgt. Thomas Smith, 479th Maintenance Squadron Fabrication flight chief.

A visitor to the commander's office might agree- back shelves are lined with expensive, professional aircraft models. Sitting at arms' length from the visitors' couch, nearest the doorway, is his hand-welded A-10.

Hagel Discusses Transitions at Miramar Troop Event

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2015 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke about transitions with Marines and sailors at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, yesterday.

Hagel, who himself transitions upon confirmation of his successor, Dr. Ashton B. Carter, spoke about transition in Afghanistan, transition to the Asia-Pacific region and the dynamic nature of the world that requires a U.S. military that can capably perform during peace or war.

The United States is transitioning around the world, the secretary said. In Afghanistan -- where many of the Marines and sailors served -- the United States is working with Afghans as they assume control of their country. And, U.S. Marines are transitioning back to their maritime roots..

Building Capabilities, Capacities in Asia-Pacific

All service members will participate in the U.S. military’s transition to the Asia-Pacific, Hagel said. A cornerstone of that shift will be to build capabilities and capacities of allies in the region, he said. This will become “more and more a critical component of our own strategic interests as we continue to help our allies build their capabilities,” the secretary said.

The United States will support those countries, “but we can't take on all of the challenges by ourselves,” Hagel said. “They must do it as well.”

The world is a dynamic, ever-changing place, and the American military must be ready, the secretary said. A year ago, he said, no one would have forecast the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or the Ebola crisis in West Africa or the Russian actions in Ukraine.

Cybersecurity Concerns

Other actions need to be countered as well, the secretary said. Cyberspace remains vulnerable, Hagel said. The cyberattack on Sony Pictures, and the cyberattack on U.S. Central Command public sites are two of the more recent examples of the vulnerability, he said.

The Defense Department’s people are key to success, Hagel said. The secretary urged Marines and sailors in the audience to take care of each other.

“We don’t take care of each other just on the battlefield,” Hagel said. “We’ve got to take care of each other in dorms, in bars, on bases, at parties. You take care of each other, you trust each other, and you have to rely on each other, again, not just in war, but this is a family, and we let each other down if we don’t do that.”

The secretary thanked the service members for what they do for the United States every day. He also thanked the families.

“Again, I want to thank you for what you do for this country, what you’ve done for our country, what you will do for this country,” Hagel said. “It’s been a privilege to be your secretary of defense.”

Keeping it 100

by Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks
36th Wing Public Affairs

1/13/2015 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam  -- When the Air Force changed its physical fitness testing program in 2004, one Airman from the 36th Medical Support Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, started an unbelievable streak.

Lt. Col. Christine Stabile, 36th MDSS Commander, has earned 14 straight perfect scores on her physical fitness test since the Air Force eliminated the cycle ergometry test in 2004 and implemented a new testing program.

"I was thrilled when they started the new fitness program in 2004," Stabile said. "It was good to see the Air Force holding Airmen accountable for being fit."

The test, which includes a waist measurement, push-ups, sit-ups and a mile-and-a-half run is currently required once a year for testers in the "excellent" category. Before the current test standards were implemented, tests could be administered several times a year which is how she earned 14 "perfect" scores.

She added the physical fitness test wasn't a challenge for her until 2010 when the Air Force changed the standards from less than 20 push-ups to 38 in her gender/age group and lowered the run time by more than a minute.

"In 2010, when the standards changed, I wasn't going to give up," Stabile said. "It was like the Air Force put a challenge there for me, and I was going to rise to the occasion and get that 100 to keep the streak going. I refuse to let the changes beat me or prevent me from having continued success."

When she first saw the new standards, she felt it was near impossible to score 100, until a wingman introduced her to a program that would keep the streak alive.

"I remember saying to my chief 'this is going to be really hard,' but he motivated me and said 'all you have to do is use the (100 push-up program).'" Stabile said. "So every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, people came to my office to do the push-up sets. I went from being able to do 17 perfect push-ups to 168 in six weeks."

The push-up program isn't the only thing Stabile takes pride in; she also swims every day for 30 minutes and rides her bike all around base instead of driving throughout the week to help her relax and maintain her physical fitness.

"It doesn't matter if it's sunny, cloudy or raining Lieutenant Colonel Stabile shows up every day at the same time ready to swim her laps," said Josh Reyes, Andersen life guard.

The squadron commander believes to be successful you must find something you love doing and stick with it until you get the results you're looking for.

"People don't like to do push-ups, sit-ups or running, but neither do I," Stabile said. "But, you can still be fit by finding an activity you love doing and sticking with it. I love going on hikes in the jungle, and I want to be able to do these types of things when I'm 90 and not only when I'm 48."

Simulated aircraft accident tests Wolf Pack response

by Senior Airman Divine Cox
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/13/2015 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Airmen here were tested by the wing inspection team Jan. 12 during a simulated aircraft accident that occurred near the north end of the runway.

The exercise kicked off at approximately 8:30 p.m. when a pilot called in a simulated engine failure to the air traffic control tower while 30 miles out.

As part of the exercise scenario, base leadership and responders were notified that the pilot attempted a flame-out landing 350 feet from the runway before successfully ejecting. The scenario continued with the jet crashing along the runway and traveling out of control before coming to a stop near the end of runway, where it then began to ignite.

When responders arrived on scene, they found clouds of smoke around a single parked jet. Further down the runaway, 8th Medical Group Airmen responded to a role-player posing as the pilot who was injured when landing following ejection.

"The purpose of this emergency management exercise was to test the wing's ability to respond to an emergency situation," said Master Sgt. Justin Carlton, 8th Fighter Wing inspection manager. "We fly planes like these every day, and exercises like this ensure that in case of a real-world accident, the Wolf Pack will be able to respond quickly and proficiently."

Inspectors watched and waited as they evaluated the base's ability to take the necessary steps to safely and quickly respond to the incident.

"The members reacted phenomenally," Carlton said. "The first responders communicated well with one another, and everyone moved with a sense of urgency."

Aside from alerting first responders, Airmen were also tested on their ability to care for the injured pilot and provide basic life-saving techniques learned from self-aid and buddy care.

"My job is to save lives and protect all structures on base, to include the airfield, at all times," said Staff Sgt. Cody Williams, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron lead firefighter. "All Airmen should be able to respond to any emergency situation, and assist victims before emergency personnel arrive -- not just first responders."

From what he observed, Carlton believes the Wolf Pack is ready to tackle any situation that is thrown its way.

"It's through realistic training scenarios that the Wolf Pack is able to prepare for any contingency," Carlton added. "It's just another way we keep ourselves ready to fight tonight."

DoD Seeks Strides in Contracting, Sustaining Infrastructure

By Amaani Lyle

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2015 – The Defense Department continues to gauge its commercial capacity requirement, business base and the evolution of that base, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said here yesterday.

Speaking during a conference on lessons learned in military transportation, Alan F. Estevez said the Pentagon is aiming to create incentives for optimal contractor performance.

“We consider all that so that we can come up with a coherent defense seal of policy,” he said, “and if we need some legislative changes around that, we’ll present them.”

Making Contract Support Part of the Thought Process

Officials also are building contract support considerations into curriculums, war colleges, schoolhouses and even in war games so that operational contract support becomes a part of the thought process, Estevez said.

Meanwhile, Estevez said, adaptability in airlift and sealift requirements has continued to improve since the Gulf War. “You are inside the wire, [and] you also have contractors that are outside the wire, and that becomes a different dynamic,” he said. “We have a much more flexible capability today than we used going into Desert Storm.”

Ultimately, Estevez said, he’d like to see the streamlining of contracts, commercial partners and various combinations of assets offering the Defense Department the greatest flexibility to operate in multiple war zones. “Clarifying how we do that is critical for us right now, so that we have that playbook and learn when to apply those [strategies],” Estevez said.

Strides in Infrastructure Sustainability

Estevez also noted that DoD is making strides in sustainability of its infrastructure. As an example, he cited efforts in Fort Irwin, California, a region that enjoys relatively high levels of sunshine year-round.

“Commercial providers come in, set up power grids [and] sell us the energy at cost or cheaper, because we’re letting them use our land,” he explained. “What we get is not only a better sustainability -- we get inside our own wire of power, so if the grid gets tampered with, that base has its own power capability.”

18th AF commander visits 437th AW at JB Charleston

by Senior Airman Jared Trimarchi
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

1/13/2015 - JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Air Force Lt. Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, 18th Air Force commander, his wife Michele and Chief Master Sgt. Robert Rodewald, 18th AF command chief, visited Airmen, families and civilians from the 437th Airlift Wing Jan. 8-9, 2014, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

To get a first-hand view of JB Charleston's unique mission, Everhart was given a mission overview from the 437th Airlift Wing, the 315th Airlift Wing and the 628th Air Base Wing leadership.  However, the key reason for his visit was to interact with the Airmen of the 437th AW who work to provide precise, reliable airlift worldwide every day.

"This is my opportunity to personally see and hear from the Airmen," Everhart said. "I also get to recognize the accomplishments of some incredible Airmen and civilians."

At one point during his visit, Everhart's sat down for breakfast with a group of Airmen to hear about what was on their minds, and in return, gave them words of advice, wisdom and encouragement.

"The best part of any visit is when I get to talk face-to-face with Airmen," Everhart said. "We are a collaborative team. They're out there accomplishing a difficult mission, and I want to know what I can do to help. I need to understand what is on their minds so I may advocate for them.
Everhart cited the partnership between the three wings at JB Charleston, as the foundation of accomplishing the mission in an outstanding manner.

"Charleston has a fantastic relationship between the 437th AW, the 628th ABW, the 315th AW, the Naval component and the Army component, and seeing how the base runs the mobility requirement is outstanding," Everhart said.

The general invited Airmen and civilians from the 437th AW to an all-call during which he thanked them for their commitment to serving their country, talked about the future of the 18th Air Force and discussed his command priorities.

"The mission of the 18th Air Force is not going to change," Everhart said. "We will always be prepared to the utmost of our ability to answer our nation's call; no matter where it is globally."

He also discussed some of the issues the Air Force is facing today.

"Certainly, one of the biggest challenges the Air Force faces today is how we, as a service, continue to provide combat-ready Airmen and platforms to face an uncertain, rapidly-changing environment," Everhart said. "Our Airmen can't be afraid to think outside the box, and they must be bold enough to take the steps necessary to make change.  Most importantly, make every dollar count.  Let's ensure that every dollar we spend is a dollar of added value to the taxpayers."

At the end of his stay, Everhart reflected on his impressions of the Airmen who call Joint Base Charleston home.

"I'd like to say thank you to our Total Force mobility Airmen and families for their dedication to delivering our country's rapid global mobility, day in and day out," Everhart said. "I talked to many Airmen during this trip and I've tried to emphasize to them the Air Force cannot do its job without them."

Hagel Underscores Nuclear Mission Importance at B-2 Base

By Claudette Roulo

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2015 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today opened his final domestic trip with a stop at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, home of the 509th Bomb Wing -- the world's only B-2 Spirit stealth bomber unit.

With a T-38 Talon trainer aircraft to either side, Hagel told the airmen their military service plays a critical role in the nation's security and that service will shape their lives.

The defense secretary said while he'd served "when dinosaurs roamed the Earth," his Army service informed every part of his life that followed.

"It probably did as much to shape me and mould me and affect me as any one experience I ever had in my life," the secretary said. "... Everything I have done in my life, I have drawn from that experience in the military."

Nuclear Triad

The nuclear triad is "always about strategic deterrence," Hagel told the airmen. "It is about staying ahead, technology-wise, of our adversaries -- those who would want to do great damage to this country and our way of life and our allies'."

Modernization -- particularly of the nuclear enterprise -- is the key to national security, the defense secretary said. Military modernization, Hagel added, was interrupted by sequestration and other fiscal difficulties. "That hurt us in many ways," he said, noting that modernization is the one area in which the United States cannot afford to fall behind.

"We have paid a lot of attention to that -- especially the last year," Hagel said. "We're committing more resources in our budget that we'll be presenting to Capitol Hill here in the next few weeks, so I want to assure you of that component of your job."

People Are Important

The Defense Department cannot afford to lose good people, he said. "We have to continue to assure that we are recruiting and we're bringing good people in to this business, because technology, modernization -- all the components that are critical for our national security -- are only as good as the quality of the people that we have behind those technologies."

Everyone in the military is linked, the defense secretary said. The success of any one service member is tied to the ability of every other service member to succeed, he explained.

"If one of you is weak, or if one of you falls down, or if one of you is not capable, it will affect the entire effort," Hagel said. This is true in every challenge service members face, he said, from flying 36-hour missions in a B-2 bomber to confronting the problem of sexual assault.