April 2002 Vol. 85, No. 4
By Suzann Chapman
Two Airmen Among Eight Killed
Two Air Force members were among eight Americans killed in
the early action of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.
They were: TSgt. John A. Chapman, 36, of Waco, Tex., a combat
controller assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope
AFB, N.C.; and SrA. Jason D. Cunningham, 26, of Camarillo, Calif.,
a pararescue jumper with the 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB,
Ga.
The airmen were working with US Army Special Forces that were
being inserted into the fight March 4 by MH-47 helicopters on
two separate missions. A Navy petty officer was killed as the
first MH-47 was hit by ground fire. He fell off the helicopter.
Four Special Forces troops were killed, in addition to Chapman
and Cunningham, on the second MH-47. Officials said it was hit
by ground fire and either crashed or made a hard landing. The
personnel on board were killed during a firefight with the enemy.
Another Special Forces member was killed by enemy fire March 2.
Coalition forces launched Anaconda, which is part of the ongoing
Enduring Freedom action in Afghanistan, on March 1 against several
pockets of Taliban and al Qaeda forces in the mountains south
of Gardez.
The coalition ground forces included about 200 special operations
troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, and Norway.
USAF Engaged in Philippines
Air Force personnel, both ground and air, are participating
in a new front in the war against terrorism as the US military
aids the Philippine armed forces against Abu Sayyaf, a group with
ties to al Qaeda.
USAF special tactics personnel accompanied US Army Special
Forces sent to the Philippines to help train the Philippine military.
Additionally, airmen were sent to establish expanded communications
hookups.
A Pentagon official also acknowledged to the Washington Post
in late February that USAF and Navy aircraft had begun surveillance
flights to support ground forces.
Philippine Op Claims Two Airmen
The crash of a US Army MH-47 helicopter in the Philippines
Feb. 22 claimed 10 US military troops, including two USAF personnel.
The helicopter crashed into the sea as it flew from Basilan
Island to Mactan air base. Pentagon officials said there was no
sign of hostile fire.
The airmen were MSgt. William L. McDaniel II and SSgt. Juan
M. Ridout, both pararescuemen from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron,
Kadena AB, Japan. Eight Army personnel were killed.
McDaniel and Ridout were working with US Army Special Forces
members as part of Joint Task Force 510 to train and advise Philippine
armed forces.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Rumsfeld Leans Toward More Strip
Alerts
Should the Air Force continue to fly Combat Air Patrols over
selected US cities or switch to more strip alert locations? That
question is under review said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Air Force leaders in the past few months have made it clear
that Operation Noble Eagle is exacting a high cost in dollars
but more importantly in stress on personnel and equipment.
The Air Force, principally the Air National Guard, has been
flying CAPs over several US cities since the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks. In addition, the service has maintained strip alert--personnel
and aircraft standing ready at a few minute's notice--at more
than two dozen locations around the country. In all, some 265
aircraft--fighters, tankers, airlift, and radar aircraft--and
about 12,000 airmen are involved.
Rumsfeld, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Feb.
24, said there is no question "the stress and the cost is
substantial." However, he added the US "has to balance
the use of those assets for that purpose against the threat."
He indicated that the number of aircraft actually airborne
might be reduced if, as he hoped, the threat level was sufficiently
lower. "What we need to do is what we have always done historically,"
said Rumsfeld, "and that's to have different threat levels."
Services To Cut Jammer Options
The Air Force and Navy must pare down the 27 options proposed
in an electronic warfare study. The goal is to put new jamming
capabilities in the air within two years and a new joint aircraft
to replace the aging EA-6B Prowler by 2009.
Pentagon acquisition chief Edward C. Aldridge directed the
two services to develop a three-phase plan. He wants the new proposals
by June 3.
For Phase 1, which would run from 2004 to 2009, Aldridge suggested
replacement equipment such as a jammer-equipped Mini Air-Launched
Decoy.
Phase 2 would begin in 2009, when the Pentagon is slated to
phase out the Prowler. Aldridge told the services, in a memo obtained
by Defense News, to consider a "joint core component aircraft"
that would be comparable to a new electronic attack A-6 or F/A-18.
In Phase 3, with no dates attached, Aldridge said the services
should look to a joint program for a jamming version of the new
Joint Strike Fighter or a new high-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
CSAF's Task Forces Take Shape
Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff, plans to develop
key task forces that mirror USAF capabilities, with each led
by a champion.
The idea, he said, is to base "what we do on Concepts
of Operations." Jumper added that he included planning and
programming in the equation.
The Air Force must be "able to describe how we go to
war and how we interface with the other services before we start
talking about what we are going to buy," Jumper said at
the annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in February.
Task force champions would prioritize programs based on how
many of the task forces a particular program would support, said
Jumper.
Jumper mentioned six task forces:
Global Response--centered on those capabilities that
provide quick reaction forces, especially for the war against
terrorism.
Global Strike--focused on the capabilities used to
gain initial access into a theater of operation.
Space/Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance--focused
on space and ISR capabilities and what they bring to the mission.
Mobility/Humanitarian--focused on capabilities needed
to provide humanitarian aid, whether food, medical, or other
relief, including evacuation.
Expeditionary--directed at the process used to rotate
units for day-to-day contingency operations.
Strategic--focused on capabilities that handle USAF
nuclear obligations.
There could be additional task forces, as the service more
fully develops the concept.
Jumper sees the task force approach as key to USAF's continuing
transformation. He asked the symposium audience, if the Air Force
describes itself by these capabilities--the task forces--and
they capture what the service does, "then why don't we plan
and program that way, too?"
"We are going to transform ourselves in this way [in
the] planning and programming business and see if we can make
this work--a capabilities orientation to the way we do our business,"
said Jumper.
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Rumsfeld: Stop Using NCA
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld directed DOD to stop using
the term National Command Authority. Instead, he wants Pentagon
instructions and documents to specifically identify either the
President or the Secretary of Defense or both, as necessary.
The directive, established in a Joint Staff memo obtained by
Inside the Navy, was sent to Joint Staff, unified commanders,
and the military services.
One Pentagon official told ITN the change was purely administrative.
Another said the NCA term was a Cold War relic that needed to
be replaced.
Northrop Grumman Files Offer for
TRW
Northrop Grumman said March 3 it had formally filed its offer
to buy TRW. If successful, the buyout could lead fourth-ranked
Northrop to the top of the defense contractor ladder.
TRW had not responded, according to Northrop officials, to
an unsolicited proposal Northrop submitted to TRW in a Feb. 21
letter. Northrop asked TRW officials to enter negotiations to
combine the two companies in hopes of boosting its defense space
and electronics business.
In the past seven years, Northrop has acquired 14 companies.
During 2001 alone, the Los Angeles-based company bought Litton
Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding, and the electronics systems
group of Aerojet General.
Those major acquisitions have raised concerns among defense
officials and Wall Street analysts as to whether the company could
absorb another large purchase.
However, Northrop Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kent
Kresa said Feb. 27, "We view this as quite an easy integration
job, compared with ones that we've already demonstrated we can
do."
TRW had until March 29 to reply to Northrop's offer.
However, Northrop may not be the only bidder. Other defense
companies, including Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, are
reportedly considering making offers.
Bill Would Place New Command Outside
DC Area
The Administration's tentative plans to locate the Pentagon's
new homeland security command in the Washington, D.C., area may
not fly, according to legislation drafted by Sen. Christopher
S. Bond (R-Mo.).
Bond and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), the bill's co-sponsor,
favor establishing the headquarters for the new unified command
in the central US and away from any major population center. Bond
has publicly cited Ft. Leonard Wood in his home state as an ideal
location.
The legislation also calls for the deputy commander to be drawn
from either the Army National Guard or Air National Guard.
Additionally, it would ensure that the Pentagon establishes
the new command from existing resources.
The bill was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Two Die in Trainer Jet Crash
An instructor and student pilot from Laughlin AFB, Tex., were
killed when their T-37 jet training aircraft crashed near Spofford,
Tex., Jan. 31.
1st Lt. Chad B. Carlson, an instructor pilot from Lewiston,
Tex., and student pilot 2nd Lt. Nicholas J. Jabara of Colbert,
Wash., were flying a training mission near an auxiliary airfield
about 25 miles east of Laughlin when their jet crashed.
Jabara, who graduated from the US Air Force Academy last year,
was the grandson of the late Col. James Jabara, the first ace
of the Korean War.
Air Force officials said they were pronounced dead at the scene.
A board of officers will investigate the accident.
Lord Confirmed for New
AFSPC Four-Star Post
The Senate confirmed Lt. Gen. Lance W. Lord to fill the new
Air Force general officer position at Air Force Space Command.
The position was made possible by a change included in the Fiscal
2002 defense authorization.
Lord was serving as the Air Force assistant vice chief of
staff. He had previously been vice commander at AFSPC, which
is headquartered at Peterson AFB, Colo.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld decided last year to follow
a recommendation of the Space Commission to split the job of
AFSPC commander from that of commander in chief for US Space
Command.
Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart is currently serving as commander in
chief of SPACECOM, as well as NORAD, and commander of AFSPC.
Congress late last year repealed the law that limited the
number of four-star general officer positions available to DOD
to make room for the new position.
The Space Commission, which was chaired by Rumsfeld before
he was nominated to become Defense Secretary, suggested both
the split and that the Pentagon name the Air Force as DOD executive
agent for space.
Rumsfeld named the Air Force executive agent in May 2001.
He also instructed the Air Force to nominate an officer to head
AFSPC. However, the service had to wait for Congress to complete
the Fiscal 2002 legislation.
The move creating a four-star commander for AFSPC also opens
the commander in chief position at SPACECOM to other services.
It had been limited to Air Force four stars.
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Strategic Influence Office Closed
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced that the Pentagon
planned to close the Office of Strategic Influence, created last
November, following severe media criticism that its mission was
to plant false press releases with foreign media to manipulate
public opinion.
Defense officials denied the allegations that the office's
mission was disinformation. They said that although its charter
had not been completed, its purpose was to coordinate the release
of information overseas.
DOD released a statement Feb. 20 saying, "Under no circumstances
will the office or its contractors knowingly or deliberately disseminate
false information to the American or foreign media or publics."
In announcing the shutdown, Rumsfeld told reporters Feb. 26
that the disinformation claims were "off the mark,"
but despite that he said the office has "clearly been so
damaged that ... it's pretty clear to me that it could not function
effectively, so it's being closed down."
He added that DOD would continue to target information operations
as it did with the Afghan people. "We told people where they
could get humanitarian assistance, we told people the difference
between cluster bomb packages and food packages," he said,
adding that the Pentagon also had to counter the lies that the
food packages were poison.
"We did a whole series of things that are characterized
as influence or strategic influence or information operations,"
said Rumsfeld.
"So there are lots of things that we have to do, and we
will do those things," he added. "We'll just do them
in a different office."
Foundation Competes New Air
Force Memorial Design
The Air Force Memorial Foundation announced March 12 that five
architectural teams would compete to design a new Air Force Memorial.
The new design must fit the memorial's new planned location,
which is near a promontory point of land overlooking the Pentagon.
AFMF officials decided late last year to relocate the memorial,
ending a long-running controversy about the previous site on Arlington
Ridge. Although two attempts to block the use of that site were
overturned in federal court, the repeated challenges and delays
slowed the project down. Several members of Congress moved to
make an attractive alternative location available.
The location overlooking the Pentagon had been considered earlier,
said Ross Perot Jr., foundation chairman. It was discounted because,
at the time, "it was not going to be available for a number
of years," he said.
Legislation passed last year, and signed by President Bush
Dec. 28, made the new location available sooner. The foundation
plans to build on the new site unless faced with a major environmental
issue that could not be mitigated in a reasonable amount of time.
Preliminary design concepts from the five architectural teams
were due to the foundation's board of trustees early this month.
Lease To Feature Smart Tanker?
Air Force leaders have spoken recently about transforming aerial
refuelers into more than flying gas stations. They want to endow
tankers with the capability to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance,
and Reconnaissance missions in addition to their refueling duties.
According to the Seattle Times, Boeing officials are considering
offering that capability as part of a controversial tanker lease
proposal.
Congress authorized the Air Force to lease commercial aircraft
as tankers to offset its aging fleet of KC-135s, which are seeing
even greater use as a result of Operations Enduring Freedom and
Noble Eagle. USAF doesn't think the tankers will last until the
end of this decade, as previously expected.
House and Senate appropriators approved a provision in the
Fiscal 2002 defense bill that authorizes USAF to lease 100 Boeing
767s for 90 percent of their market purchase price, modify them
for tanker use, fly them for 10 years, remove the modifications,
and return them to Boeing.
Critics have called the plan a corporate bailout.
However, Air Force Secretary James G. Roche has stated the
service is considering all reasonable options. That includes a
projected proposal from Boeing's European competitor, Airbus.
To go with another contractor, the Air Force would have to
ask for a change to last year's legislation. Roche told a Congressional
committee that would be done "if somebody like Airbus came
along and made a deal that was so good, an offer that was so good,
that we felt that we would prefer it."
Roche told reporters after testifying at a March 6 House Armed
Services Committee that the service plans to analyze, over the
next few months, technical information provided by both companies.
He said the goal was to come up with an answer sometime this summer.
Rumsfeld Outlines Coalition
Contributions
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld veered from his earlier
stance that he would not reveal specifics about contributions
by other nations to the war against terrorism. He told reporters
Feb. 26 that many dozens of countries have joined the US--"not
just its traditional allies."
He emphasized that he was revealing only a partial list of
countries and activities but that all "deserve credit for
their substantial and valuable contributions." Some have
helped openly, while others have been less open, the Secretary
said.
Rumsfeld noted, "In the Afghanistan effort alone, coalition
partners are contributing something in the neighborhood of 6,000
troops to Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security
Assistance Force." He added, "By comparison, US forces
in Afghanistan now total under 5,000."
He went on, "For example, 12 countries have contributed
more than 2,800 personnel to ground operations in the campaign.
Eight countries contributed more than 1,500 people to air operations.
Eight countries contributed more than 13,000 people to naval
operations, and some eight countries contributed 350-plus to
civil operations in Afghanistan."
Rumsfeld then listed some specific assistance:
Australia: Special operations forces in Afghanistan.
Bahrain: A frigate and associated personnel supporting
Enduring Freedom.
Canada: More than 2,200 personnel--land, air, and naval--in
the region and a light infantry battle group with 700 personnel
and 12 armored reconnaissance vehicles in Kandahar for security
and combat operations.
Czech Republic: More than 250 personnel in Kuwait performing
local training and management support in the region.
Great Britain: A naval task force, aircraft, and leadership
of the 16-nation ISAF.
Italy: A carrier battle group--more than 13 percent
of their naval force--to support Enduring Freedom combat operations.
Jordan: A hospital in Mazar-e Sharif.
Spain: A hospital in Bagram.
South Korea: Airlift for humanitarian relief supplies
and a $45 million pledge for reconstruction aid in Afghanistan.
United Arab Emirates: Airlift of humanitarian supplies.
"This is simply an illustrative example of the broad
effort from dozens and dozens of countries," Rumsfeld concluded.
"I did, however, think it would be helpful to pass out this
detailed information, so that more people can become aware that
this is not simply a US operation, but it is truly a broadly
based multinational effort."
A fact sheet released Feb. 28 listed contributions by 27 nations.
Those not listed above were: Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
The Sept. 11 series of terrorist attacks in the US "was
an attack on the world," said Rumsfeld. "Citizens from
more than 80 countries died that day, innocent men, women, and
children of every race, religion, and region."
"Many countries were attacked by terrorists before September
11th," he added. "Some have been attacked or endangered
since September 11th. And any could be attacked tomorrow. In
short, the war on terrorism is truly a global struggle, and it
affects all nations."
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Roche Cites Plan A for Tankers
In his testimony March 6 before the HASC, Air Force Secretary
Roche said that Plan A for replacing the service's old KC-135s
is to move procurement up.
Plan B is the tanker lease. Roche said that leasing some aircraft
to use as replacement refuelers was "a way of doing something
quickly."
Of course, he added, "the only way it works is if the
cost of the lease was less than the cost we were avoiding."
Roche said that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Air
Force recognized that it was now going to be using these aging
aircraft "far more than we ever had before. ... We became
very concerned."
Plan A is to try to procure new aircraft earlier than the service
originally planned, which would have been around 2008. "We're
going to work on it in the '04 budget," he said.
USAF Raises Risk Bar
Air Force leaders decided to accept greater operational risk,
as hundreds of F-16 aircraft retire, rather than buy new aircraft.
"If you don't have a continuous stream of investment,
you'll pay the piper at some point," said Air Force Secretary
Roche at a House Armed Services Committee hearing March 6 on the
Fiscal 2003 budget.
Roche explained that the service is hurting because older systems,
like fighters, were not replaced and "they're just going
to wear out."
"We're going to face what's called a bathtub in our fighters,"
he said. "We're willing to take that risk if we can introduce
some new systems."
To compensate for the fighter deficit--the bathtub--in coming
years, Lt. Gen. Joseph H. Wehrle Jr., USAF's deputy chief of staff
for plans and programs, told Inside the Pentagon that the service
plans to rely on the greater capabilities of the F-22 as it comes
into service. The service faces a 100-aircraft shortfall around
2010.
Plans call for the F-22 to reach Initial Operational Capability
in 2006. The F-35 strike fighter, the replacement aircraft for
the F-16, is not slated for IOC for the Air Force until 2010 or,
possibly, 2011.
Wehrle said he presented three major options to USAF leadership
to handle the F-16 shortfalls: buying old-model aircraft; accelerating
new aircraft; or essentially riding out the shortage, thereby
accepting greater risk.
He said the service does not want to buy more older, nonstealthy
aircraft just to cover a four-year period. "It just didn't
make sense to us."
"This Dichotomy
Is Unacceptable"
Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston told Congress that permanent
working conditions at some bases in Europe are far less suitable
than temporary facilities in the Balkans. Housing, he said, has
fared only somewhat better.
Ralston, who is commander in chief of European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe, testified that improving the
command's "failing and antiquated infrastructure" is
the No. 1 investment priority for the European theater.
He told members of the House appropriations military construction
subcommittee Feb. 14 that EUCOM's infrastructure funding following
the fall of the Berlin Wall was virtually nonexistent for nearly
a decade. "We simply did not know in 1989 what the size
of our commitment to Europe would be, nor did we know where those
forces would be assigned."
Over the last decade, he said, EUCOM has closed 563 installations.
Ralston also assured the Congressmen that the command had used
every available funding source to improve the conditions in which
service members live and work.
He said that, since 1990, alternative funding sources, such
as the NATO Security Investment Program, Residual Value, Payment-in-Kind,
and Quid Pro Quo initiatives, have generated more than $2 billion
for construction projects. The service components (US Air Forces
in Europe, US Army Europe, and US Naval Forces Europe) have also
consolidated, privatized, and outsourced to reduce the infrastructure
requirements backlog.
Nonetheless, Ralston said, "We have reached the limits
of our ability to do more for less." These alternative sources
alone are simply inadequate to significantly impact current funding
shortfalls, he stated.
He did note that increased funding over the past two years,
to include $251 million in Fiscal 2002, has helped. "However,
a great deal of our infrastructure remains inadequate, and our
service members continue to live and work in dilapidated facilities."
Family Housing
Ralston said family housing had received more emphasis than
work facilities in recent years, so EUCOM service components
were on schedule to meet last year's DOD requirement to eliminate
substandard family housing by 2010. Now, Ralston said, they are
currently working on plans to complete the task for new DOD guidelines
that mandate completion by 2007.
He said that although the command has made progress as a whole,
family housing throughout Europe remains old and in need of extensive
repair and modernization. For example, Ralston said that 73 percent
of USAREUR family housing is not up to DOD standards.
"Similarly, 57 percent of US Air Forces in Europe family
housing is not to standard, and more than 80 percent of family
housing units were constructed before 1960," he added. "Sustaining
this aging inventory is costly."
Those standards, he said, are not overstated by American standards.
"We've said, if a family qualifies for a three-bedroom apartment,
we think they ought to have two bathrooms," said Ralston.
"We think they ought to have a stove, a refrigerator, a
washer, and a dryer. I don't believe that's gold plated in any
way."
He showed the Congressmen a photo of brown water flowing from
rusted water pipes at Ramstein AB, Germany. Ralston said this
has been one of those things that people have put off. The attitude
has been that the problem could wait till next year. "Well,
next year comes and it's put off and it's put off and it's put
off, and ultimately that is what results," he said.
DOD has programmed full funding for family housing through
Fiscal 2009 at $2.3 billion.
Single Housing
Housing for single members has fared about the same--improvements
have not come fast enough.
Ralston said one of the worst situations exists on the island
of San Stephano, part of the La Maddalena Naval Support Activity
in Italy. He said there were 50 sailors on shore duty who live
there on one of the last berthing barges in the Navy, instead
of in permanent quarters.
"It's small with only a locker for clothes and valuables,"
said Ralston, showing pictures of the facility.
"We're working hard to address conditions like that,
but as you can see, that's pretty sad," he added, noting
that it will be 2009 before the command gets its barracks upgrade
program in shape.
The Work Place
Worse yet are the working conditions in EUCOM, according to
Ralston. The average age of facilities is now 32 years old, with
the oldest facilities 90 years old.
This situation now impacts readiness.
"Over 87 percent of the installations in USEUCOM are
assessed as C-3, meaning that there are significant facility
deficiencies that prevent performing some missions," he
said.
Yet, Ralston noted that efforts to revitalize and modernize
USAREUR and USNAVEUR installations are currently underfunded
by $1.3 billion over the Fiscal 2004-09 Future Years Defense
Program. He added that the Air Force recently committed to fully
fund sustainment for USAFE through 2007 and to start funding
restoration and modernization to meet the DOD goal by 2010.
"From runways and repair docks to billeting and housing
areas, the infrastructure that supports our operations and people
has been underfunded for many years," said Ralston.
"It is not uncommon for a unit to deploy from its permanent
installation in the heart of Europe for a tour of duty in the
Balkans and have better working conditions in the temporary facilities,"
explained the EUCOM chief. "This dichotomy is unacceptable."
In closing, Ralston said that the Fiscal 2003 budget includes
approximately $575 million for the total military construction
in the European Theater.
"That's a 60 percent increase over what was appropriated
last year," he stated. "I ask for your favorable considerations
of this increase."
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Pentagon Plans To Speed Test
Tempo
DOD's top tester told Congress that increasing test tempo will
enable the Pentagon to field weapon systems faster. He also said
that test and evaluation needs more money.
Thomas P. Christie, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation,
said his office is reviewing several programs "where testing
could be accelerated."
Writing in the annual DOT&E report to Congress released
in late February, Christie said that DOT&E was working with
Pentagon acquisition "to accelerate the testing and fielding
of systems that might be especially relevant to the campaign against
global terrorism."
The report also noted that the DOD testing process needs funding
increases to play catch-up with a $12 billion backlog in infrastructure
modernization requirements and "to adequately test future
weapon systems incorporating emerging technologies."
The French Have Landed
Six French Mirage 2000 multirole fighter aircraft landed at
Manas airfield in Kyrgyzstan on Feb. 27. They are the first aircraft
assigned to the new coalition military facility recently set
up there and will be flying fighter and reconnaissance missions
for Enduring Freedom.
"Our job is to participate in air military operations
in Afghanistan and help in the international fight against terrorism,"
said French air force Lt. Col. Bertrand Bon. "We are proud
and honored to be a participant in this mission."
Earlier, the French air force had sent in a team of engineers
and technicians to set up communications, buildings, hangars,
and warehouses and to restore parts of the flight line surface.
"The logistics here are difficult because we must get
our equipment from Europe," said French Maj. Loick Renard,
one of the officers overseeing the buildup. "However, with
the cooperation between all the forces, we have been able to
overcome [problems] and get the Mirage here."
For example, French forces worked alongside 13 USAF personnel
from the 823rd RED HORSE out of Hurlburt Field, Fla., to construct
the foundation for a new aircraft maintenance pad. The 420,000-square-foot
facility is slated to handle aircraft from the US, France, and
Spain.
Air Force officials said the arrival of the Mirages is the
first step for the Manas facility.
"Having the French here is vitally important," said
Brig. Gen. Christopher A. Kelly, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
commander. "From the first day, they have been key members
of this coalition. It is a grand day today watching these planes
come in and prepare to fly missions."
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It Was All Over in 15 Minutes
According to the first air boss for Operation Enduring Freedom,
US airpower devastated Taliban air defenses in Afghanistan in
just 15 minutes.
Lt. Gen. Charles F. Wald, now USAF deputy chief of staff for
air and space operations, said March 7 at a defense symposium
in Washington, D.C., that it was true the Taliban anti-aircraft
force was not highly sophisticated. However, he said they did
possess an integrated air defense system, including radars, surface-to-air
missiles, and fighter aircraft.
It was not the fact that Taliban air defenses were "rudimentary"
that enabled US forces to dominate the skies quickly, said Wald.
It was the high confidence of US weapon systems.
Looking at the first day of Enduring Freedom and the 1991 Desert
Storm campaign, Wald said US airpower struck the same number of
targets. What changed, he said, was the number of sorties. For
the Afghanistan operation, the number was 200; for the Iraq operation,
it was 2,500.
The difference was in the use of precision guided munitions
by USAF and USN strike aircraft and in the large loads that could
be carried by USAF B-1 and B-2 bombers, said Wald.
TFL Seeks "Expired"
Eligibles
Tricare officials announced in February that claims will automatically
be paid for Tricare for Life beneficiaries with "expired"
eligibility until Aug. 1, 2002.
Tricare for Life is the new health care program for military
retirees and their dependents who are 65 or older and Medicare
eligible. Officials said that claims submitted since the start
up of the program Oct. 1, 2001, but denied for expired eligibility,
will be automatically reprocessed.
Those whose claims were denied must reverify their eligibility
with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Records System by Aug.
1. For more information see "Tricare for Life Hits and Misses,"
p. 62.
US, UK Conduct Subcritical
Nuclear Experiment
The US and United Kingdom conducted their first joint nuclear
experiment Feb. 14, some 960 feet below the Nevada desert, without
a nuclear blast.
The experiment, performed under provisions of the global Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty, was designed to help maintain the safety and
reliability of US and UK atomic weapons. Officials said the subcritical
nuclear experiment enables them to analyze materials, such as
plutonium, without actually exploding a nuclear warhead.
The event took place at the Nevada Test Site, about 85 miles
northwest of Las Vegas.
Military, Industry Share
Blame
Peter B. Teets, the undersecretary of the Air Force and director
of the National Reconnaissance Office, said that some space acquisition
programs have "serious problems."
Teets, who is, in effect, the new Pentagon space czar, told
a National Defense Industrial Association symposium Feb. 26 that
he is intent on getting to the bottom of the deficiencies and
that "it's absolutely true that there's plenty of blame to
spread around."
He indicated that the problems stemmed from unclear requirements
and inadequate funding, as well as poor program management.
A major change at the Pentagon, giving him milestone decision
authority for all military space programs, is imminent, said Teets.
Other changes Teets has announced include creation of a Defense
Space Acquisition Board and creation of two new positions for
space: Deputy for Military Space and Directorate of National Security
Space Integration. (See "Aerospace World: Teets Announces
Two New Positions for Space," March, p. 13.)
The space czar said these moves will help the Air Force, which
was named DOD executive agent for space in May 2001, to streamline
oversight of space acquisition programs.
Another thing Teets said he wants to do is attempt to apply
NRO program management practices--a cradle-to-grave approach--to
Air Force acquisition. A step in that direction came last October
when the Air Force transferred the Space and Missile Systems Center
from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Space Command.
US Reaffirms Long-Standing
Nuclear Pledge
The 24-year-old US pledge not to use nuclear weapons against
non-nuclear states was reaffirmed Feb. 22 by State Department
spokesman Richard A. Boucher.
Reporters asked Boucher to explain statements made by Undersecretary
of State for Arms Control and International Security John R.
Bolton in an interview with the Washington Times that appeared
to indicate a change in policy.
Among other comments, Bolton said, "We would do whatever
is necessary to defend America's innocent civilian population."
However, Boucher said, "Those kinds of statements have been
made repeatedly since the 1970s."
Boucher repeated a 1995 "formulation" of the 1978
commitment: "The United States reaffirms that it will not
use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon state parties
to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, except
in the case of an invasion or any other attack on the United
States, its territories, its armed forces or other troops, its
allies, or on a state toward which it has a security commitment,
carried out or sustained by such a non-nuclear weapon state in
association or alliance with a nuclear weapon state."
He then qualified the pledge in the same way that Bolton had.
"The policy says that we will do whatever is necessary to
deter the use of weapons of mass destruction against the United
States, its allies, and its interests," he said. "If
a weapon of mass destruction is used against the United States
or its allies, we will not rule out any specific type of military
response."
Boucher said this has been the policy for 20 or 30 years.
"That is what Secretary Bolton was talking about, and there
is no change," he added.
In Bolton's words: "The idea that fine theories of deterrence
work against everybody, which is implicit in the negative security
assurances, has just been disproven by September 11," he
said. "What we are attempting to do is create a situation
where nobody uses weapons of mass destruction of any kind."
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USAF Is Short of Scientists
and Engineers
Air Force officials sounded a new alarm about the growing shortage
of military and civilian scientists and engineers. The problem
has been looming for several years.
Air Force Materiel Command head Gen. Lester L. Lyles said the
service faces a dire crisis by 2005 when 30 percent of its scientists
and engineers are eligible to retire.
Air Force Secretary James G. Roche told Congress that recruitment
fell far short in this area last year. He said the service has
begun an "all-out effort to plus-up recruitment and target
retention of these critical specialties."
Congress has authorized bonuses, funding adjustments to create
retention allowances, and the possibility of special salary rates
for the most difficult to fill specialties.
However, Roche said that funding levels were cut during the
appropriations process.
Lyles said the "dire situation" in the civilian ranks
stems from downsizing and hiring freezes, "so we did not
bring anyone in through the front door to prime the pump."
That left the Air Force with an aging workforce, he added.
One thing Lyles said he wants to do is clear up some misconceptions.
For instance, he said that while the service has focused on bringing
in new engineers fresh from school, "there are opportunities
for experienced engineers from industry."
Nurses: USAF Wants
You
The Air Force, like the nation, is facing a shortage of registered
nurses. Officials said the service was short 215 nurses in Fiscal
2001. They project the shortage to grow to 400 by the end of
this fiscal year.
The nation as a whole has 126,000 vacant full-time nursing
positions. The shortage is driven by several factors, among them
an increasing need as baby boomers age, while at the same time,
nursing school enrollments and graduation rates have dropped.
For the Air Force, the most critical shortages currently occur
in six specialties: clinical (medical and surgical), mental health,
neonatal, and obstetrical nursing, certified registered nurse
anesthetists, and women's health nurse practitioners.
"Nursing is fighting its own war on the home front, a
war to provide enough nursing support to care for all the patients
in our country," said Brig. Gen. Barbara C. Brannon, USAF's
assistant surgeon general for nursing services.
Last year, the service failed to meet its nurse recruiting
goal for the third consecutive year. Brannon said USAF was developing
new strategies and changing policies to enable more nurses to
qualify for a commission.
For instance, new nurses do not need a bachelor of science
degree in nursing. Now candidates may have an associate's degree
in nursing with a bachelor's in a health-related specialty, plus
one year of nursing experience.
The Air Force is also accepting nurses for critical wartime
specialties--nurse anesthetists and medical-surgical, mental
health, and critical care nurses--up to age 47, rather than age
40.
Other initiatives include bonuses and more ROTC scholarships.
At least one early bonus program, though, provided only short-lived
relief, said officials. The $5,000 bonus came with a four-year
service commitment. They said most new nurses opt for no bonus
and only a three-year commitment.
Brannon said the Air Force is also concerned about its nurse
retention rate. At the four-year point, the rate is 70 percent;
at eight, it's 40 percent; at 10, it's just 31 percent.
Last year, Brannon said interviews of nurses who left voluntarily
revealed a Catch-22. The nurses were leaving because there were
too few nurses.
To improve retention of nurses in at least one critically
short field--registered nurse anesthetists--the service plans
to offer what started as a recruiting tool in Fiscal 2001. They
will offer those already serving grants that reimburse education
costs up to $24,000.
It may not be enough. "The nationwide nursing shortage
shows no signs of abating," said Brannon.
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Pentagon Needs Another Funds
Boost for War on Terrorism
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told a Congressional
subcommittee that the military will require an additional $12.6
billion supplemental in Fiscal 2002 to cover the cost of the war
against terrorism.
He said that, by the end of January, Operations Enduring Freedom,
the war in Afghanistan, and Noble Eagle, the homeland security
effort, cost $10.3 billion, more than DOD had estimated. Included
in that total is about $2.9 billion in nonrecurring expenses involving,
Wolfowitz said, "immediate security improvements" set
up after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Pentagon expects the cost of the war to exceed $30 billion
by the end of this fiscal year.
Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrines Four
The National Aviation Hall of Fame will induct four "outstanding
pioneers of aviation" to its roll of 174 men and women previously
honored. The new members, who will be honored at a ceremony in
Dayton, Ohio, on July 20, are:
Col. Hubert "Hub" Zemke. Known as one of
the pre-eminent World War II European Theater fighter commanders,
Zemke led his 56th Fighter Group to 665 air-to-air victories.
The "Wolfpack" led all fighter groups in the theater.
Zemke had 17.75 confirmed victories in 154 combat missions, putting
him among the top 25 of all Army Air Forces World War II fighter
pilots. He originated the Zemke Fan, which drastically changed
Eighth Air Force policy, and other tactical innovations. The
Fan allowed some fighters escorting bombers to fan out well ahead
to take on enemy fighters as they formed up to attack--US bomber
losses significantly declined. On his last mission in late 1944,
he was forced to bail out of his P-51 when it lost a wing from
turbulence. He was taken prisoner and served as senior officer
in command of more than 7,000 Allied prisoners at Stalag Luft
1. He retired from the Air Force in 1966 and died in 1994.
Retired Air Force fighter pilot Lt. Col. Dick Rutan.
He flew 325 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Following
retirement from the Air Force, Rutan flight-tested development
aircraft, setting several speed and distance records. In 1986,
he and copilot Jeana L. Yeager set an absolute aviation world
record for speed around the world, nonstop, nonrefueled. They
flew an average of 115.65 mph in the Voyager experimental aircraft
over Edwards AFB, Calif.
Retired Vice Adm. James Stockdale. Perhaps best remembered
for his heroism as a prisoner of war, Stockdale was a highly
decorated US Navy aviator, who served two combat tours flying
fighters during the Vietnam War. He was shot down during his
second tour in 1965 and held in the "Hanoi Hilton"
until February 1973. He set a standard of courage and provided
hope to other prisoners during his nearly eight years of captivity.
He retired from the Navy in 1979.
Frank Piasecki. Founder and head of the PV-Engineering
Forum, Piasecki built the world's first tandem rotor helicopter,
known as the "flying banana," for the Navy. By 1946,
the Piasecki Helicopter Corp. was producing and designing helicopters
for the Navy, Army, and Air Force, as well as the Canadian and
French navies. He continues to work on improving the Apache and
Super Cobra helicopters.
|
DOD To Transfer Peacekeeper Warhead
to Minuteman III
With the Nuclear Posture Review behind it, the Administration
will start deactivating Peacekeeper ICBMs this year and placing
its relatively new re-entry vehicles into the older Minuteman
IIIs.
The nuclear review set the stage for reducing the number of
strategic warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by 2012. (See "Bush's
Nuclear Blueprint," March, p. 26.)
DOD had already planned to transfer the Peacekeeper Mark 21
re-entry vehicle to the Minuteman, according to Aerospace Daily.
The timing was uncertain since the START II treaty, which called
for the decommission of Peacekeepers, was never ratified.
Now, a TRW official told the Daily, the company that has managed
the ICBM upgrade and modernization program can move forward. The
Minutemen will be converted from three- to single-warhead capability,
featuring the "newest and safest" re-entry vehicle,
said TRW.
DACOWITS Gets New Role
The Pentagon announced March 6 that the Defense Advisory Committee
on Women in the Service would continue but under a revised charter.
The group's original charter--some 53 years old--focused largely
on attracting women to military service. The group was the center
of the effort for women to gain entry to combat specialties.
There had been a drive by some conservative groups to abolish
the group.
Instead, the Pentagon said in its announcement that DACOWITS
was to be "revitalized" to make it more relevant to
today's force.
The revised charter calls for the group to provide advice and
recommendations on "recruitment and retention, treatment,
employment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional
women." It will also now focus on improving conditions for
military families.
AFRC Tests the Snow and Ice
An Air Force Reserve Command C-141 crew took a new approach
to landing in Antarctica for the command's first Operation Deep
Freeze mission of 2002.
While transport aircraft have landed on the hard ice runway
near McMurdo Station for years, this time the runway had a new
topping. "They put about six inches of dry snow and supercompacted
it so it becomes bonded with the ice," said Lt. Col. Kelly
Curtis, overall mission commander from the 452nd Airlift Mobility
Wing, March ARB, Calif.
"This provides a two- to three-inch insulation cover for
the ice when the sun angle gets significant so they don't have
any melting that will degrade the continuity of the ice surface,"
he added. Curtis explained that C-141s and other large aircraft
have restrictions on how much loose snow and ice can be on a runway.
The flying snow can cause structural damage.
He said they were concerned about potential damage, but the
compacted snow held. "The first crew that went in had nothing
but good things to say about the runway," said Curtis. "They
said it was actually a smoother, better surface to operate on,
and the braking was good, so everyone was thrilled with the test."
Wilford Hall Team Rescues
Baby
A highly specialized medical team from Wilford Hall Medical
Center in Texas flew to Okinawa to bring back a three-day-old
baby boy. The boy would have died without their expertise.
The baby, the son of a Marine stationed on Okinawa, was born
without part of his diaphragm. As a result, some of his intestines
were putting pressure on his lungs and other organs. His lungs
were failing. He had only a few days to live. He needed to be
put on a special heart-lung bypass machine that would stabilize
his condition, allowing his lungs to heal. Surgeons could then
correct the defect.
The problem: The only long-range-transport heart-lung bypass
capability in the world is at Wilford Hall. Once alerted, a 16-member
team and the equipment were in the air within 12 hours and, traveling
on a series of aircraft, reached Okinawa 25 hours later. They
had the infant on the portable equipment within three hours and
headed back to Texas, where he was to undergo surgery.
Americans View Muslim
Countries With Distrust, Muslims Have Similar View of US
Gallup polls conducted in nine Muslim countries and Gallup/USA
Today/CNN polls taken in the US reveal strong negative feelings
between Muslims abroad and Americans.
There were some exceptions. Americans indicated favorable
views of three countries--Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey--while
individuals in Lebanon and Turkey expressed favorable views of
the US. The US polls were conducted March 1-3. The foreign polls
were taken in December and January.
Despite the negative feelings held in general by Muslim countries,
USA Today reported that 67 percent of the individuals polled
said the Sept. 11 terror attacks were morally unjustifiable.
However, only 18 percent of those polled in six of the countries
said they believed that Arabs conducted the attacks, in direct
contradiction of US evidence that indicates all 19 hijackers
were Arab.
When questioned about the Gallup poll of Muslim countries,
President Bush said, "There is no question that we must
do a better job of telling the compassionate side of the American
story." He added, "We've got work to do."
|
OPM Offers Long-Term Care
Insurance
The Office of Personnel Management began a new program last
month that offers long-term health care insurance to military
and civilian federal employees and their families.
OPM contracted with John Hancock and MetLife insurance companies
for the new benefit. It's designed to cover expenses associated
with long-term medical care in a nursing home or in the patient's
home.
Federal employees may purchase the insurance for themselves
or their families, including parents. Federal retirees may enroll
only themselves and their spouses.
Early enrollment continues through May 15, followed by an open-enrollment
season beginning July 1.
More information is available on the OPM Web site (www.opm.gov).
Officials said they would also post a rate calculator on the Web
site.
They noted that the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program,
Medicare, and Tricare are not designed to cover long-term care.
They also said the government does not plan to pay any part of
the long-term care premiums.
USAF Starts Executive Job
Swaps
It probably went largely unnoticed, but the Air Force recently
merged two offices--one that managed assignments for general officers
and one that handled assignments for senior executive service
civilians.
The new single office is called the Air Force Senior Leader
Management Office.
Its primary mission is to fill executive posts, period. It
doesn't matter if the position once was held only by a military
member or only by a civilian. The office will equally consider
generals and senior civilians for most executive vacancies.
There are some exceptions. For instance, a civilian will not
be selected to fill an aircraft wing commander billet.
GAO Cites Peacekeeping Expenses
According to a General Accounting Office report released in
mid-February, the US directly contributed about $3.45 billion
to support UN peacekeeping from Fiscal 1996 to Fiscal 2001.
GAO estimated that the indirect contribution to UN peacekeeping
was $24.2 billion for the same period.
GAO defined indirect contributions as US programs and activities
that:
- are located in the same area as an ongoing UN peacekeeping
operation;
- have objectives that help the peacekeeping operation achieve
its mandated objectives; and
- are not an official part of the UN operation.
"The largest indirect contribution (about $21.8 billion)
stemmed from US military operations and services that helped provide
a secure environment for UN operations," said the report.
Both the State Department and the Pentagon took exception to
GAO's inclusion of indirect contributions. They said US operations
are undertaken in the US interest and thus there should be no
implied connection between US operations and UN peacekeeping efforts.
Ace MacDonald Dies
Col. Charles H. "Mac" MacDonald, one of the highest
ranking aces in World War II, died March 4 at his home in DeFuniak
Springs, Fla. He was 87.
MacDonald initially flew P-36s out of Hawaii, then P-47s out
of New Guinea on transport escort duty. He was recruited for
the new P-38 group in Fifth Air Force, the 475th Fighter Group.
In an October 1943 air battle, during which MacDonald got his
first two aerial victories, the group shot down 36 enemy aircraft
without a single loss. MacDonald soon became group commander
and scored two more victories in October, then a fifth in November
to become an ace. By war's end, MacDonald had racked up 27 aerial
victories.
He returned to the States in July 1945 and served in a variety
of command and staff assignments, including commander of the
33rd Fighter Group and 23rd Fighter Wing. He retired from the
Air Force in 1961.
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Saxton Bill Would Lower Reserve
Retirement Age
New Jersey Rep. Jim Saxton announced Feb. 28 that he was submitting
legislation to allow reservists to receive military retirement
pay at age 55 rather than age 60, after they have served at least
20 years.
"With the reliance on the Reserves and National Guard
system since the end of the Cold War, it is proper that they be
treated appropriately," said the Republican Congressman.
Original co-sponsors on the bill are House Veterans' Affairs
Committee Chairman Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) and Reps. Robert
E. Andrews (D-N.J.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R-N.J.), William J. Pascrell
Jr. (D-N.J.), and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.).
Saxton said the bill would help with retention of Guardsmen
and Reservists. "It puts them on equal footing with the active
duty military, which can already draw retirement pay after 20
years of service," Saxton said. "We as a nation ask
a lot of our reserves. They are not asking a lot from us."
DOD Works On New Personnel, Pay
System
DOD is in the midst of dumping hundreds of 20- to 30-year-old
personnel and pay systems and fashioning a new all-service system--Defense
Integrated Military Human Resources System. The Army will be the
first to start testing the new system, beginning in 2003.
The Navy, which is executive agent for the program, will follow
in 2004; the Marine Corps in 2005; then the Air Force.
A key piece of DIMHRS, said officials, is commercial computer
software called PeopleSoft 8. It will allow personnel to access
personnel information via the Internet at any time from anywhere.
The new system is also expected to improve the Pentagon's ability
to keep track of active duty and reserve personnel during deployments
and mobilizations.
USAF Expands Junior ROTC
The Air Force is expanding its Junior Reserve Officer Training
Corps program this year by 57 new units and needs additional USAF
retirees to fill instructor slots in those units.
Service officials said potential instructors must be either
retired active duty officers or enlisted personnel who served
a minimum of 20 years or who retired under the temporary early
retirement authority with at least 15 years.
Individuals from any career field are eligible, and they do
not need an instructor background.
"It doesn't matter what profession the person had in the
Air Force," said Col. Brian King, JROTC director. "The
leadership skills, customs and courtesies, academic background,
and professional military education are all excellent preparation
for taking a role as a leader in the JROTC classroom."
Instructors will wear uniforms and must meet weight requirements.
They will receive a salary equal to the difference between their
retired pay and their active duty pay and allowances, excluding
incentive pay.
For more information, call the Air Force JROTC Division at
800-522-0033, ext. 5275 or 5300; or write to HQ AFOATS/JRI, 551
E. Maxwell Blvd., Maxwell AFB, Ala., 36112-6106; or visit the
Air Force JROTC Web site.
Sovietologist Erickson
Dies
John Erickson, who was considered for most of the Cold War
to be the West's leading authority on the Soviet military, died
Feb. 10. He was 72.
During World War II, Erickson served as a sergeant in the
British army. Afterward he attended Cambridge and Oxford, where
he worked on his book The Soviet High Command: A Military-Political
History, 1918-1941, a standard on the formation of the Red army.
He was a scholar respected by the Soviet Academy of Sciences
and gained unusual access to Soviet archives and high-ranking
officers.
In 1967, Erickson founded the Center for Defense Studies at
the University of Edinburgh where he was a professor of politics
(defense studies). Through the center, he developed what became
known as the Edinburgh conversations, a forum for US and Soviet
admirals and generals. The conversations grew from informal exchanges
to in-depth discussions on arms control and other security issues.
Erickson also was a visiting professor at the University of
Indiana, Texas A&M University, and Yale. His other publications
include Barbarossa: the Axis and the Allies; Soviet Ground Forces:
an Operational Assessment; The Road to Stalingrad and The Road
to Berlin on Stalin's war with Germany; and The Expansion of
Soviet Air Power.
|
CRS: Concurrent Receipt
Is Top Retirement Issue
Many would argue that the most controversial military retirement
issue that is currently the object of intense Congressional interest
involves concurrent receipt of military retired pay and Veterans
Affairs disability compensation, stated a Congressional Research
Service issue brief, released Feb 15.
Military associations and retirees have raised the issue with
Congress for the past 10 years, at least. They have tried to
get Congress to change the law that prevents military retirees
from receiving the two benefits simultaneously.
It is a complex issue with heated arguments on both sides.
Opponents, of course, want to know how it would be financed if
approved. Proponents, who say it is owed regardless, have recently
said there's a surplus in the Military Retirement Fund that could
cover it.
The CRS said that is not the case. "Recent assertions
that there is a 'windfall' or 'surplus' in the Military Retirement
Fund ... are incorrect. They are based on an invalid assumption
about how the amount of money in the fund is determined."
The brief explained that the government uses "complicated
calculations" to compute the amount of money that must be
transferred from DOD to the MRF to pay for future retirement
costs. "The idea of the 'windfall' assumed that the calculations
did not take the VA compensation offset into account," said
the CRS.
According to the CRS, the Bush Administration, like the Clinton
Administration, has been consistently opposed to granting concurrent
receipt. The Administration sent a letter to Congress last October
in which it stated that both military retired pay and VA compensation
were intended to adequately compensate for the recipient's military
service and that both were not required to do so.
However, CRS noted there might be a softening. A senior Pentagon
official said earlier this year that DOD intended to study the
issue to see if disabled military retirees were receiving adequate
levels of support. The Pentagon commissioned an independent study
that was due last month; it was then scheduled for an in-depth
review before being forwarded to Congress.
That may be too late, as Congress was poised to consider the
issue again last month for the Fiscal 2003 budget.
Whether or not Congress includes a reprieve from the concurrent
receipt rule for the new budget, the Air Force Association and
the Military Coalition pledge to continue the fight.
"For the last 10 years, AFA has been working to repeal
restrictions on concurrent receipt believing that monies earned
for a service-connected disability and retirement are separate
entitlements and should not be linked," said Ken Goss, AFA
government relations director. "We will continue to work
this issue until full concurrent receipt is achieved."
|
News Notes
- The Air Force announced the consolidation of several organizations--public
affairs, integrated marketing, issues team, and executive staff
group--into a new Communications Directorate at the service's
Pentagon headquarters. The move took effect March 15. William
C. Bodie, who serves as special assistant to the Secretary of
the Air Force for policy and planning, assumed the additional
duties of director of Air Force Communications.
- USAF activated the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, a new RQ-1
Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle squadron, March 8 at Indian
Springs AFAF, Nev. The service established the new unit, which
joins the 11th RS and 15th RS RQ-1 at Indian Springs, as a result
of increased mission requirements following the success of the
UAV in Enduring Freedom.
- An Air Force MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft crashed Feb.
12 in a remote region of Afghanistan injuring the eight crew
members aboard. Officials said the crash did not appear to be
caused by hostile fire and was under investigation.
- An air base in Kyrgyzstan being used by US and allied forces
for operations in Afghanistan was named after New York City Fire
Chief Peter J. Ganci Jr., who died as a result of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
- Defense Undersecretary Paul Wolfowitz told Congress in late
February that the US will likely have, in place at Ft. Greely,
Alaska, by September 2004, four prototype rockets capable of
destroying a long-range missile.
- Brig. Gen. Teresa M. Peterson, former director of Air Force
Transportation, became the first active duty woman to command
an operational flying wing when she took command of the 305th
Air Mobility Wing at McGuire AFB, N.J., March 1.
- A Pratt & Whitney-led team, including Rolls Royce, Lockheed
Martin, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems, received the National
Aeronautic Association's Collier Trophy for designing, developing,
testing, and demonstrating the Integrated Lift Fan Propulsion
System that will be used on the new F-35 strike fighter's short
takeoff and vertical landing version.
- John M. Poindexter, the retired Navy admiral who served as
President Reagan's national security advisor, now heads a new
office--the Information Awareness Office--recently created by
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
- Kevin Montoya, the project manager for test and evaluation
of the airborne laser program at the Air Force Flight Test Center,
Edwards AFB, Calif., was named the National Defense Industrial
Association Civilian Tester of the Year.
- GE Aircraft Engines received a $126 million contract from
Lockheed Martin to provide CF5-80C2 propulsion systems for USAF's
C-5 reliability, enhancement, and re-engining program. Deliveries
begin in 2004.
- Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Fiscus was named the Air Force judge
advocate general Feb. 25.
- USAF announced the 2001 safety award winners. Air Combat
Command received the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award
for Category 1 organizations, reflecting the "safest two-year
period in the flying history of ACC." The Air Force Academy
received the Category 2 SECAF award for "dramatically reducing
its off-duty military injuries ... and its on-duty civilian injuries."
- The Air Force also announced several 2001 safety achievement
award winners, including MSgt. Nolan A. Rayne, McConnell AFB,
Kan., 2001 Safety Career Professional.
- The Pentagon presented awards to the top seven reserve component
family readiness and mission support programs, including the
184th Bomb Wing of the Kansas ANG and the 913th Airlift Wing,
AFRC, Willow Grove, Pa.
- DOD and the VA began the first of a series of quarterly meetings
for the new DOD-VA Health Executive and Benefits Executive Councils
in mid-February. Officials said the new councils are designed
to build a more collaborative relationship.
- USAF selected 1,712 out of 8,965 line and nonline majors
considered for promotion to lieutenant colonel. The selection
rate for line officers in the promotion zone was 65.6 percent.
- An F-16 crash at Hill AFB, Utah, on Oct. 17 during its takeoff
roll was the result of a blown nose-gear tire, according to Air
Force officials investigating the accident. The blown tire caused
a debris spray that severed critical steering system wires.
- The Air Force selected 579 line and nonline officers out
of 4,717 lieutenant colonels considered for promotion to colonel.
The selection rate for line officers was 46.6 percent.
- Jim Bagg, 87, retired from Air Force civil service in a special
Pentagon ceremony Feb. 27, after serving his country for more
than 63 years. Officials said he had more years of federal service
than any other USAF employee. Bagg spent the first half of his
career as an Army officer and the second half as an Air Force
civilian.
- DOD notified Congress Feb. 26 that the 52nd Civil Support
Team from the Ohio National Guard was certified to perform its
mission. Congress authorized 32 teams, with 25 now certified.
- USAF will be installing a new digital flight instrumentation
system in the C-12 turboprop as one of several modifications
needed to keep the small transport aircraft flying for another
20 years. USAF's 27 C-12s, managed by Tinker AFB, Okla., are
scattered around the world and used primarily for embassy support.
- Orbital Sciences received a $425 million contract from Boeing
to develop a booster rocket for the Pentagon's missile defense
program. Orbital is to develop an alternative booster to the
one Boeing has been developing.
- A female powerlifter, 2nd Lt. Kimberly Walford from the 321st
Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., won the 2002 Women's
Junior National Championship in the 148-pound weight class for
ages 20 to 23. She lifted two and three times her weight of 144
pounds.
- Raytheon delivered three fully integrated Multispectral Targeting
Systems for the Predator UAV in three months. Officials said
a typical development and delivery cycle on a first system of
this type normally would take 12 to 16 months.
- In February, a KC-10 refueling aircraft from McGuire AFB,
N.J., marked 875 KC-10 combat sorties over Afghanistan for Enduring
Freedom. Personnel from the 32nd Expeditionary Air Refueling
Squadron had provided more than 85 million pounds of jet fuel
since KC-10s started Enduring Freedom operations Sept. 22. Along
with the 60th EARS from Travis AFB, Calif., the 32nd refueled
more than 7,000 aircraft.
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