335th FS command passes to Johnson

by Airman Shawna L. Keyes
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/6/2015 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Lt. Col. Brandon Johnson assumed command of the 335th Fighter Squadron during a change of command ceremony, May 1.

Johnson accepted the guidon from Col. Brian Afflerbaugh, 4th Operations Group commander, and will now lead a squadron of more than 70 members.

"I'm humbled to be entrusted with the command of the 335th Fighter Squadron, and I pledge to do my best each and every day to take care of the Airmen and the families of the 'Chiefs'," Johnson said.

The 335th FS is a mix of six enlisted personnel and more than 65 officers, including pilots, weapons system officers, flight medicine providers, and intelligence personnel. The squadron is responsible for conducting air expeditionary operations worldwide in the F-15E Strike Eagle.

"I can only imagine the pride, that special feeling that Lt. Col. Johnson has today as he takes over the squadron in which he was initiated into fighter pilot culture," Afflerbaugh said during the ceremony. "What an awesome experience. You'll be sorely missed by the 'Lancers' (333rd Fighter Squadron), but I'm sure there is no one better to command the 'Chiefs.'"

Before returning his squadron's salute for the last time, Lt. Col. Todd Dyer, outgoing 335th FS commander, thanked his family and friends for their support during his command.

"To the men and women of the 335th Fighter Squadron, both past and present, Katy and I have been blessed to work with such an outstanding group of warriors for the past four and a half years that I've worn a green name tag," Dyer said. "The heritage in the 335th Fighter Squadron is unrivaled. Continue to add to that distinguished lineage every day."

Johnson thanked his family and friends, along with members of the 4th Fighter Wing, acknowledging the responsibility placed on him as commander.

"Men and women of the 'Chiefs,' it's an honor to return to the tribe," Johnson said. "I look forward to our squadron continuing its legacy of excellence and to serving alongside you."

Joint Task Force Activates for Nepal Earthquake Relief

From a Marine Corps Forces Pacific News Release

KATHMANDU, Nepal, May 6, 2015 – Joint Task Force 505 has been activated to support the government of Nepal by conducting humanitarian disaster relief operations to limit further loss of life and suffering in response to the devastating earthquake that struck central Nepal on April 25.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, has designated Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, as the joint task force’s commander, effective today.

Activation of the task force follows the initial U.S. military response to support Nepal’s government, joining the efforts already underway by the Joint Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team and the U.S. Agency for International Development and Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Disaster Assistance Response Team, as well as urban search and rescue teams already delivered to Nepal by Air Force C-17 transport jets.

At Nepalese Government’s Request

"We are here at the request of, and in support of, the government of Nepal as they deal with this terrible tragedy," Wissler said. "We will continue to provide support as part of the overall U.S. government and international response as long as our unique capabilities can support the government of Nepal and remain in partnership with the Nepalese army."

Joint Task Force 505’s forward headquarters here will coordinate U.S. military relief efforts. The task force will continue to work closely with senior representatives from the U.S. State Department, USAID and other U.S. agencies to ensure continued and timely responses to requests from the Nepalese government, officials said.

The task force will initially support ongoing disaster relief operations with a U.S. Air Force contingency response group, three Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopters, four Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, four Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transports and two Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules aircraft, as well as various ground and aviation command and control capabilities.

Officials said they anticipate that the task force’s mission will require having about 500 U.S. military personnel working in Nepal.

Team Carl Vinson Reaches 10,000th Launch, Recovery Milestone

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Travis Alston, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Public Affairs

USS CARL VINSON, At Sea (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 recently launched and recovered the 10,000th aircraft of the current deployment.

An Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 116 "Sun Kings" E-2 Hawkeye completed the 10,000th launch; a Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 "Sun Liners" F/A-18F completed the 10,000th arrested landing.

"Ten thousand launches and arrested recoveries is a significant milestone for this crew," said Capt. Karl Thomas, Carl Vinson's commanding officer.

"What is truly amazing is the full availability of four catapults and four arresting wires every day for the duration of an extended deployment. It was truly a great job by all involved."

Thomas also expressed his gratitude to the pilots and Sailors assigned to CVW 17 during a daily 1MC announcement to the crew.

"The ship and air wing mission go hand-in-hand," said Thomas. "We can't get 10,000 traps without the air wing involved. The coordinated efforts of the ship and air wing are what made this milestone possible.

It's not just air department; it's navigation, it's reactor, engineering and supply; you name the department, everyone had a part in what we did to make this happen."

Carl Vinson is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Final Flight of the East Coast P-3C Orion

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Smith, Naval Support Activity Bahrain Public Affairs

BAHRAIN (NNS) -- The Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 "Tridents," based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, are currently conducting missions in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. This is the Navy's final active duty deployment of the P-3C Orion aircraft from the East Coast.

The Navy is in the process of replacing the decades-old Lockheed Martin P-3C turbo-prop aircraft with the new multi-mission maritime aircraft P-8A Poseidon, a modified Boeing 737-800ERX.

Historic events aren't new to the Tridents. VP-26 was the Navy's first operational P-3 squadron when they received the first production of the P-3B, which replaced the P2-V Neptune in January 1966. Then, in 1979, VP-26 transitioned to the P-3C aircraft used today.

"It's incredible and it means being a part of history," said Lt. Cory Solis, tactical coordinator assigned to VP-26. "The plane has been a fighting force for the Navy for so long and we're still able to employ it. We can still count on her to get up in the air and be vital part of something like what we are doing now in the Middle East."

Even in the final missions of the P-3C flights, VP-26 continues to work with joint and coalition forces in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. During this deployment, VP-26 has worked with British and French naval vessels and successfully executed combined operations with the Bahraini Coast Guard.

Today's P-3 is equipped with the latest Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) technologies to enable it to integrate with other forces and to facilitate network-centric warfare. The P-8 is designed to take these capabilities to the next level.

"The P-3 is an icon of Cold War anti-submarine warfare and it has proved extremely flexible, adapting to meet a variety of missions assigned by forward fleet commanders in the 25 years since," said Cmdr. Gregory A. Smith, commanding officer, VP-26.

Transition to a new aircraft goes beyond utilizing the physical capabilities of the aircraft and its technology.

"This flexibility is one of the hallmarks of U.S. Naval service, however, it is not the airframe that provides this flexibility," Smith said. "It is the people. The same people who are making P-3s succeed on station will be the ones who make the P-8 succeed on station. The airframe will change, but the culture and legacy of excellence in maritime patrol and reconnaissance will remain."

Personnel are already preparing for the road ahead. Sailors will have to adjust, retrain and in some cases, find a different career path in the Navy.

"My training is P-3 specific and there's not actually a spot for the in-flight technician in the P-8," said Naval Aircrewman (Avionics) 2nd Class John McDaniel, in-flight technician assigned to VP-26. "So, I will be switching platforms. I will be going to the EA-6B Prowler and will have to attend another "A" school. I have been with P-3s for five years. I feel pretty good and feel it's time to do something new."

All maintenance Sailors will be required to attend the P-8 general familiarization course, which is between five to 10 days. They will also be required to attend P-8 rate training. Upon completion, they will be assigned to Fleet Replacement Squadron, VP-30, in Jacksonville, and work in their rating specific area to become qualified collateral duty inspectors (CDI) and plane captains on the P-8 for approximately six months.

All current VP-26 operators (aircrew) identified for transition will return home and complete Category II training at VP-30, which lasts approximately six months. Upon completion of training, they will receive their new respective navy enlisted codes (NEC) and begin their first P-8 inter-deployment readiness cycle.

"You either ride the waves of change or drown beneath them," said Command Master Chief James B. Daniels Jr., command master chief, VP-26. "The point is change is going to happen whether you like it or not. The P-8 is a new, more capable aircraft, and as we did with the P-3, we will maximize the use of it to further the Navy's mission."

The new P-8 aircraft is expected to arrive in Bahrain in approximately one year.

"I am extremely proud of what the men and women of VP-26 do every day," said Smith. "They make complex and challenging evolutions seem routine. We don't set out every day to make history; we set out to do the little things the right way, the first time, to the best of our ability. Being a part of a "first" or a "last" makes it sound more special, but what is really special is the way Team Trident works together to overcome a challenge or rallies behind a shipmate who needs extra support. To me the last (P-3) deployment from the East Coast will always imply the additional work and sacrifices required to do more with less, and meeting mission in spite of those challenges; the way VP-26 has always done before."