USNA Midshipmen Triumph Over Herndon Climb

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Wilkes, U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen from the Class of 2018 conquered the final hurdle of their freshman year during the Herndon Climb event, May 18.

Every year, the roughly 1,000 members of the academy's plebe (freshman) class form a human pyramid around the 21-foot tall Herndon Monument to remove a plebe hat, or "dixie cup," that upperclassmen have placed on the top of the obelisk monument and replace it with the midshipmen cover.

"This is a great and iconic moment for each and every one of us at the Academy," said Vice Adm. Ted Carter, superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. "It is an act of teamwork, strength, and perseverance that represents the transformation of being followers as plebes to future leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps."

This year, Midshipman 4th Class Javarri Beachum, from Port St. Joe, Florida, reached the top and replaced the cover in 1:38:36, the fastest time since 2013.

According to legend, the plebe who replaces the plebe cover with the midshipmen's cover will become the first member of the class to become an admiral. So far, the legend has not come true.

"It's an awesome experience working together with these guys and girls, said Beachum. "It took our whole class, just pushing together, to get the job done. It isn't a one man thing, everyone contributes."

The Herndon Climb is considered the capstone of the freshman year at the Naval Academy. Once the freshman class completes the obstacle, they are "plebes no more", a phrase that the class doesn't take lightly.

"It's so exciting to finally be able to say 'plebes no more'," said Midshipman 4th Class Meghan Brophy. "Climbing Herndon was an amazing experience and we are all feeling so good and looking forward to liberty!"

"I plan to stay active in the company and stay active for the new plebes that will be here soon," said Midshipman 4th Class Stephen Steckler. "It's so important for us to keep the motivation up from Herndon and be a positive force as we become upperclassmen."

The Herndon monument is dedicated to Cmdr. William Lewis Herndon, who died in an attempt to save the crew of his steamer ship Central America during a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in 1857.

U.S. Pacific Command Symposium Enhances Regional Stability

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

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2015 – The U.S. Pacific Command Amphibious Leaders Symposium, which includes more than 20 nations, will enhance stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the colonel said the inaugural symposium in Hawaii this week “brought together senior leaders of allied and partner marine corps, naval infantries and militaries spanning the Indo-Asia-Pacific region who have an interest in military amphibious capability development.”

Symposium’s Objectives

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, is hosting the symposium, which kicked off yesterday. Warren said the event is meant to develop a meaningful dialogue on key aspects of maritime and amphibious operations, capability development and interoperability.

Group briefings and discussions will feature multinational observation of an amphibious landing as part of the joint Hawaii sea-basing exercise, “Culebra Koa” 2015, Warren noted.

“It will conclude with scenario-based tabletop exercises on Wednesday,” he said. “These types of engagements result in better training and interoperability with our friends and partners throughout the region.”

Warren added, “It also paves the way for enhanced regional stability and economic ties, which is beneficial to all.”

Multinational Participation

The U.S. and 22 other nations are participating in PALS ’15 -- a total of approximately 110 foreign and U.S. participants, the colonel said.

“During PALS ’15, we’ll be discussing and demonstrating amphibious assault tactics, which will include ship-to-shore assaults,” Warren said.

Asked by reporters about Chinese participation, Warren noted China is not included in the symposium due to specific U.S. laws prohibiting the involvement of the People’s Liberation Army.

“Because we will be including discussions and demonstrations of ship-to-shore assaults,” he said, “… U.S. Public Law 106-65, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2000, prohibits us from having [military-to-military] exchanges or contact with representatives of the PLA that include force projection operations and advanced combined-arms and joint combat operations.”

That said, the U.S. continues to encourage military-to-military engagement as a tool to build trust, enhance transparency and mitigate risks, Warren said.

Barksdale B-52s participate in U.S. Central Command exercise

U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs

5/19/2015 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Two B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La., returned May 18, 2015, from a 30-plus hour, 14,000 mile nonstop mission to the U.S. Central Command area of operations to participate alongside Jordanian and other multinational forces in Exercise Eager Lion 2015.

Exercise Eager Lion is one of USCENTCOM's premiere exercises, and consists of a series of simulated scenarios to facilitate a coordinated, partnered military response to both conventional and unconventional threats. While U.S. participation in Exercise Eager Lion occurs on a regular basis, this year marks the first time the multi-role, heavy bomber has been integrated into the exercise. In total, about 10,000 U.S. and international military personnel are participating in Eager Lion, taking place May 5-19 in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

During the exercise, B-52 crews joined up with Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft over Jordan, conducting a low flyover and a conventional weapons demonstration. Additionally, while in flight, bomber crews coordinated with Jordanian joint terminal attack controllers on the ground to increase cooperation and understanding regarding tactics, techniques and procedures for future interoperability. 

Combined with the long-range nature of the flight, which involved four aerial refueling operations, this mission showcases the flexible capabilities of the bomber force and its ability to integrate and strengthen interoperability with Allies and partners around the globe.

"Partnering with other geographic combatant commands, and participating in combined training engagements with our Allies and partners demonstrates our shared commitment to promoting peace and stability," said Adm. Cecil D. Haney, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command.  "The B-52 flights in support of Exercise Eager Lion were specifically designed to ensure maximum opportunities to synchronize and integrate USSTRATCOM bomber capabilities with regional partners, fostering cooperation and increasing interoperability among exercise partners as we work toward mutual goals."

USSTRATCOM's bomber force regularly conducts combined training and theater security cooperation engagements with Allies and partners, and B-52 participation in Exercise Eager Lion follows several global missions during the last year that enhanced interoperability. For example, these flights follow two simultaneous, round-trip flights of B-52s to the Arctic and North Sea regions in early April; coined "Polar Growl", this mission enabled bomber crews to conduct air intercept training with fighter aircraft from the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands. Previously, B-52s participated in NATO Exercise Noble Justification in October 2014, where the bombers assisted in the exercise's focus of validating the Spanish Maritime Force as the 2015 Maritime NATO Response Force.

ANG begins digitizing Service Treatment Records

by Master Sgt. Marvin R. Preston
Air National Guard Readiness Center Public Affairs

5/19/2015 - JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- In line with President Barack Obama's Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Initiative, the office of the Air National Guard Surgeon General has recently begun the process that will revolutionize how Air National Guard health records are stored.

The ANG SG team's transition plan to digitize paper medical records will meet a Department of Defense mandate and will allow records to follow military members when they separate or retire from the military and visit local Department of Veterans Affairs health centers.

A key component of this effort is the DOD Healthcare Artifacts and Image Management Solution, which will provide health care providers global access and awareness of artifacts and images generated during the health care delivery process.

"This project touches every Guardsman and affects their access to care and VA treatment," said Senior Master Sgt. Summer N. Brown, manager of Medical Readiness Operations at the Air National Guard Readiness Center. "The ANG Surgeon General has been working over the past two years to comply with the DOD mandate and with the assistance of Brig. Gen. Michael Taheri, [commander of the ANGRC]; an initiative was established to fund 89 medical groups with a full time National Guard day manpower equivalent to scan all paper records."

The Air Force Medical Operations Agency at Kelly Field, Texas, AFMOA Central Cell and 149th Medical Group, San Antonio, Texas, and the 59th Medical Treatment Facility, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, were all essential to the successful start of the project.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, the military service departments, except the United States Coast Guard, stopped sending paper Service Treatment Records to the VA for separating or retiring service members. The military service departments, through the military treatment facility, scan completed and certified electronic STRs into the HAIMS. When the military service departments place the STR documentation into HAIMS, as the authoritative record, the military service departments will destroy the paper documentation.

"The Central Processing Cell has unique expertise and experience in the bulk scanning of Service Treatment Records, including those of government civilians and a small contingent of service members working the Air Force STR disposition program," said Lt. Col. Craig Lambert, deputy chief of the Health Benefits Division, Air Force Medical Operations Agency.  "The center provided one-on-one, bulk STR scanning training to medical personnel from all 89 ANG wings, over a three-month period to ensure that the standard followed at the [Central Processing Cell] is also followed at every ANG medical unit.  This training was crucial to establish competencies, eliminate variation and ensure efficiency of operations for the ANG."

The establishment of the process and its management took the work of several offices, agencies and multiple subject matter experts.

"The Air Force STR disposition process takes a team effort and having all Air Force components work together is in the best interest of service members and allows the VA to accomplish their mission to properly and timely adjudicate compensation, pension or claims," said Lambert.

The creation and implementation of the training curriculum was assigned to ANG personnel liaised to the Air Force STR Central Processing Cell.

Staff Sgt. Terri De Guzman, Guardsman from the 146th Medical Group, Channel Islands, California, the primary author of the training plan and Master Sgt. Katiria I. Sanchez, an instructor liaised from the 129th MG, Moffett Field, California, trained personnel representing each ANG medical group, in the correct procedures of HAIMS digitization.

"Now we can go seek care anywhere and have our information in one location and accessible to all medical facilities," said Sanchez. "This process will assist with expediting the amount of time it takes for medical records to be made available to the VA for our members who are seeking medical care and benefits.  If anything this is the best part of digitizing our medical records, it is taking care of our people."

Another benefit to digitizing records is the decreased cost of shipment to and from the STR Processing Cell. This eliminates the possibility of records being misplaced and vital information being inadvertently disclosed.

According to the 2012 Electronic Health Record DOD Factsheet the Department of Defense and VA share more health information than any two organizations in the nation. The continued improvements in information sharing and records portability will help improve the continuity of care for service members and veterans, help ensure that physicians have the most accurate medical history of a patient, and improve patient safety.

Key Benefits of HAIMS:

- Access point for DoD providers to view VA artifacts and images
- Population health and medical research for wounded warriors
- Mass scanning for Veterans Benefits Administration compensation and pension benefits determination
- Mass ingestion capability to external repositories
- Use of electronic STRs to initiate paperless disability benefits claims will streamline the claims adjudication process, reducing the likelihood of new claims from being added to the VA's disability claims backlog
- Reduced cost for shipping of records

Increased mission requirements open doors for continued service

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, / Published May 18, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force is introducing several personnel and manpower initiatives to meet increased mission requirements outlined in the fiscal year 2016 President’s Budget.

In order to enhance operational and mission capacity in support of combatant commanders, and to maintain readiness, the Air Force is setting a minimum active-duty force level of 317,000 as established in the fiscal 2016 President’s Budget submission. The Air Force is undergoing a concerted effort to stabilize and grow the force by fiscal 2017, to include addressing key gaps in the nuclear, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and support career fields.

The Air Force is using the most direct way to grow the force by increasing the accessions of enlisted Airmen entering basic military training and the numbers of officers being commissioned. To complement those efforts, the Air Force is also offering opportunities to retain key experience and increase operational manning levels through targeted voluntary high year of tenure (HYT) extensions, Voluntary Limited Period of Active Duty Program affording opportunities to members of the Air Reserve Component to serve an active-duty tour, and Direct Duty Prior Service Enlistment Program opening doors for prior-service enlisted members to return to active duty.

The focus of these programs is to increase the number of experienced Airmen in undermanned specialties such as nuclear, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and special operations. The Air Force specialties covered under these programs were not eligible to participate in any of the targeted fiscal 2014 voluntary or involuntary force management programs. The one exception was the Quality Force Review Board, where all Airmen with some negative quality factors were considered regardless of their specialty.

“While we are working to increase our overall number of Airmen, we particularly focused on adding mid-level experienced Airmen in some of our currently undermanned specialties to help meet mission requirements immediately,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, the director of military force management policy.

The new programs being launched are designed to meet the need for experienced Airmen in critically undermanned specialties such as nuclear, cyber, intelligence, remotely piloted aircraft and special operations.

Voluntary HYT extensions are being offered to senior airmen, staff sergeants, technical sergeants and master sergeants in targeted specialties; however, Airmen will only be approved if recommended for the extension by their unit commander or civilian leader. The length of the extension can vary depending on each Airman’s situation. Specific details on the fiscal 2015 HYT extension program will be released by AFPC and available via myPers May 18.

Opportunities to serve an active-duty tour for a period of up to three years will be offered to members of the Air Reserve Component in targeted Air Force specialties. The Voluntary Limited Period of Active Duty Program allows the Air Force to increase experience in mid-level grades by leveraging trained Airmen from the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard. These Airmen will receive the same benefits as active-duty Airmen, such as qualifying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, while serving a tour on active duty. Further information, such as which grades and specialties are eligible, will also be available in the coming weeks.

Under the Direct Duty Prior Service Enlistment Program, applicants must have separated from the active-duty Air Force, or be separated from or currently serving in the ANG or Air Force Reserve in the grade of senior airman through technical sergeant as a fully qualified 5- or 7-level in one of the designated Air Force specialties. Army, Navy or Marine Corps service members may also be eligible if they served in a career field equivalent to one of the specialties targeted in the fiscal 2015 program. Under this program, applicants are not eligible to receive a reenlistment bonus.