Canada Joins JSF Program

Defense acquisition leaders for the US and Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding Feb. 7 for the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Canada will provide $150 million over the next 10 years for the system development and demonstration phase of the program.

The MOU also partners Canadian industry with US and British industries on the program, said a Pentagon statement.

The United Kingdom signed the first JSF memorandum last year.

Canada has not decided which of the three JSF variants they will need. It currently flies the CF-18 and plans to keep them through 2017.

The USAF variant is a conventional takeoff and landing fighter designed to replace the F-16 and A-10 aircraft. The US Navy is purchasing a carrier-based variant to complement the F/A-18E/F and replace earlier versions of the F/A-18 and an aircraft that has already retired, the A-6. The US Marine Corps has requested a Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing aircraft to replace the AV-8B and F/A-18.

The British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force plan to purchase the STOVL variant.

USAF Bumps Recruit Goal Again

Air Force officials announced in February the need to increase the Fiscal 2002 enlisted recruiting goal by an additional 833--all destined for security forces positions.

This marks the second recruiting increase for this fiscal year. The new goal is 37,283.

The original goal was 36,000, but officials raised the bar by 450 last October.

Air Force personnel officials said Fiscal 2002 was already on the road to be the best on record.

"We know our recruiting force will rise to the challenge," said Brig. Gen. Duane W. Deal, commander of Air Force Recruiting Service.

All 28 recruiting squadrons worldwide met their contract goals in January--the best shipping record for January in 25 years, stated officials.

Bush Signs 2002 Defense Appropriations Measure

President Bush traveled to the Pentagon to sign the Fiscal 2002 defense appropriations act, which allocates $317.2 billion in defense spending and another $20.1 billion as an emergency supplemental.

At the Jan. 10 signing, Bush stated that the bill provides nearly $30 billion more than in Fiscal 2001.

It includes an average 6.9 percent increase for military pay, as well as increases in Operations and Maintenance, Research and Development, and other areas. The amounts and increases include:

• O&M--$105.1 billion, an increase of $8.2 billion over 2001.
• R&D--$49 billion, $7.6 billion over 2001.
• Procurement--$60.9 billion, $1.7 billion over 2001.
• Defense health program--$18.4 billion, $6.1 billion over 2001.

The R&D increase also includes about $8 billion for missile defense programs.

The health care increase includes funding for the Tricare for Life program established last year for military retirees and family members who are 65 and older and eligible for Medicare.

USAF Considers More C-17s

The Air Force could include an option for more than the 60 additional C-17s airlifters authorized by Congress in the Fiscal 2002 defense bill when it cuts its deal with Boeing next month, according to Inside the Air Force.

The service may not decide on a final number of aircraft for at least a couple of years Col. Thomas Owen told IAF.

USAF's decision on how many additional C-17s it needs hinges to a large degree on the re-engining and reliability upgrade program for C-5s. If that works well, the service might need fewer C-17s.

Currently C-5Bs and one C-5A will get the upgrades. At issue is whether it makes sense to do more A models. Congress stipulated in the 2002 bill that at least one C-5A was to be re-fitted.

US Rocket Programs Need Help

Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin are asking for government funds to bolster their space booster programs.

National security officials, reported the Wall Street Journal, believe the help is warranted.

In the 1990s the Air Force developed a joint government-industry strategy to produce two new launch systems--the Boeing Delta IV and Lockheed Martin Atlas V--that would provide more reliable and lower cost launches. Both new boosters are set to launch their first government payloads this fiscal year.

The problem is that each new launch vehicle will likely need years to demonstrate reliability and require continuing investment for quality-control and engineering improvements.

Under USAF's original strategy for the evolved expendable launch vehicle program, commercial launches would provide much of the capital for those ongoing improvements.

That strategy is on shaky ground because of the significant downturn in commercial satellite launches.

Details of an aid package would have to be worked out, but the goal, officials say, would be to keep each rocket program healthy.

Pilot Is Killed in A-10 Crash

Two USAF A-10 aircraft collided Jan. 17 about 18.5 miles east of Douglas, Ariz. One pilot was killed and the other ejected successfully.

Lt. Col. Lance A. Donnelly, an A-10 pilot with the 355th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., was killed.

The other pilot, Capt. Patrick Boland, was treated for minor injuries.

The two single-seat A-10 fighters and one other, not involved in the accident, were on a training mission near the New Mexico and Mexico borders.

USAF officials said a board of officers appointed by Air Combat Command are investigating the accident.

C-21 Crash Kills Two

Capt. Brian D. Rizzoli and 1st Lt. William B. Satterly were killed when a C-21, a small transport jet, crashed Feb. 2 near Ellsworth AFB, S.D.

The two were the only occupants of the aircraft, which is a military version of the Learjet 35A.

Witnesses said the airplane was taking off from Ellsworth when it turned, slowed, and went upside down before hitting the ground, according to the Dayton Daily News.

The two airmen and the aircraft belonged to the 47th Airlift Flight at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Air Force officials said the cause of the crash is under investigation.

"It's Time To Get Serious" While some international leaders have decried President Bush for going too far in his comments about Iran, Iraq, and North Korea-labeling them the "axis of evil"-in his State of the Union address, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said his remarks were a call to our allies "to do what all of us must do." Speaking on Fox News on Feb. 3, Rice said these three countries pose a serious threat and "it's time to get serious about it." "You don't get anywhere by pulling punches about the nature of regimes like the Iraqi regime or the North Korean regime," she emphasized. "It's not as if anybody really believes that these are good regimes that are just engaging in a little bad policy." Rice went on to explain that in the war on terrorism "speaking plainly is the way to rally people, not the other way around." These countries "are a clear and present threat to us and to all of the responsible and civilized world," she said. "The Iranians who spread and support terror around the world, the North Koreans who proliferate these weapons [of mass destruction], the Iraqis who make a region of great importance to us unstable, clearly are a clear and present threat to America, America's interests, and America's allies." Rice also noted that the focus on these three countries is not a change in US policy. She said they have been on notice for some time, adding that Bush's words were "a call to the international community, to our friends and our allies, to do what all of us must do in terms of nonproliferation, in terms of cutting off the vehicles for these regimes to get these weapons." "I would say to everyone, 'Let's step back here,' and instead of worrying so much about what the President said on Tuesday night [Jan. 29], let's put equal energy into working to make sure that these regimes don't get these weapons of mass destruction," declared Rice.

USAF Lifts Some Stop-Loss Restrictions

Air Force personnel officials announced that an exit plan for the current Stop-Loss program would free some personnel in 24 officer and 40 enlisted career fields to retire or leave the service beginning this month.

Officials decided to release some specialties based on a 90-day review of the program. Stop-Loss measures were instituted Oct. 2 to ensure the service could retain the right personnel to conduct Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.

In announcing the decision, USAF Chief of Staff Jumper said, "Because this is a very dynamic situation, we will continue to review the Stop-Loss program every 60 days, and if world events change significantly, we will re-evaluate Stop-Loss decisions immediately."

Officials said that a number of factors went into the decision as to which career fields to release. One major factor was the balance between active and reserve forces, and another was the evolving mission of homeland defense.

"Clearly, we still need experienced people, and we want all active duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, and civilians to considerremaining in the Air Force to help our nation wage the war against terrorism," said Jumper.

Local personnel flights have information about the specific career fields released from Stop-Loss.

Public Supports Higher Defense Spending A Gallup poll conducted days before the President's State of the Union address showed that more than half (58 percent) of Americans said they supported giving defense spending a dominant place in the budget. Just 38 percent favored other programs. After the speech, the support for increased defense spending soared to 76 percent, according to a Los Angeles Times poll conducted Jan. 31­Feb. 3. The support for spending on homeland defense was even higher-84 percent. What is perhaps even more remarkable is that more than half of all Americans would support the increase even at the risk of having to cut back on spending for domestic programs. However, both polls revealed differences when viewed along party lines. In the LAT poll, seven in 10 Democrats approved of higher military spending, but the level of support dropped to only 36 percent if domestic programs had to face cutbacks. In the Gallup poll, which was conducted Jan. 25­27, nearly 80 percent of Republicans said military spending is most important. That compares to less than half of Independents and Democrats.

Dutch Award Flying Cross to USAF Pilot

US Air Force Maj. William Thomas received the Flying Cross from Dutch Minister of Defense Frank de Grave at a ceremony at The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan. 23.

It is the first time the medal has been awarded since World War II.

Thomas was assigned as an exchange pilot with the Netherlands air force during Operation Allied Force. During a mission on June 7, 1999, Thomas flew his F-16 into an anti-aircraft artillery zone and dispensed flares to draw artillery barrages toward his aircraft when he realized his flight lead, Dutch Maj. Marcel Duivelsteijn, had been temporarily blinded by the plume from a surface-to-air missile and was in trouble.

The ploy worked and both pilots escaped.

Thomas is currently the weapons and tactics chief with the 52nd Operations Support Squadron at Spangdahlem AB, Germany.

Troops to Teachers Gets Boost

The Troops to Teachers program got a big boost from the Fiscal 2002 federal budget--$18 million.

In addition, said DOD officials, the Fiscal 2002 defense budget opened the program to service members who separate from the military after six years or more of service. Previously, the program had only been open to those personnel who retired from military service.

The program will pay service members up to a $5,000 stipend to help defray the costs of completing a teacher certification program.

Some participants, said officials, would receive a $10,000 bonus in lieu of the stipend if they accept a job in a "high needs" school district. A high needs district is defined as one in which 50 percent of the students come from low-income families.

Troops who take advantage of the program must teach for at least three years. Additional information about the program is available at local Air Force base education offices.

F-16s Get Identical Cockpits

Air Force Materiel Command announced Jan. 24 completion of the first retrofit of an F-16 Block 50 fighter aircraft in the Common Configuration Implementation Program.

Over the next 10 years, all USAF Block 40 and Block 50 F-16s will receive the modification--giving them identical cockpits and improving their communications capabilities.

"This is the biggest electrical modification ever performed on the F-16," said Rick Merrill, F-16 CCIP production chief. And, it's going smoother than expected, with all work either on or ahead of schedule, he added.

Technicians at AFMC's Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, work around the clock in three shifts, said Merrill. The technicians went through nearly a year of classroom and hands-on training to prepare for the work.

USAF is sending entire squadrons of F-16s to Hill for the retrofit. That, said Merrill, makes it important to work smarter and faster.

"Daily, technicians are finding ways to reduce flow time," he noted.

For the pilots, having identical cockpits in all F-16s will mean they will only need to learn one configuration--a significant boon to training.

Milstar Launch Completes Worldwide Coverage

USAF officials announced the successful launch of a Milstar II communications satellite via a Titan IVB booster Jan. 15 from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and successful deployment about 6.5 hours later on Jan. 16.

The deployment, officials said, means the Milstar constellation will be able to provide worldwide, secure jam-resistant communications for warfighters.

This satellite, they said, should be fully operational some time next month after undergoing on-orbit testing.

To ensure the safety of the launch, the Air Force had ANG F-15s from the 125th Fighter Wing at Jacksonville, Fla., fly Combat Air Patrol missions over the Cape for several days before and during the launch. There was also enhanced ground security.

USAF provided the same type of security for the shuttle launch last December. "The Air Force will take all reasonable measures to protect America's national space assets and missions," said Maj. Mike Rein, with the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla.

"And we plan on doing it for all future launches as well," he added.

VA Educational Payments Rise

Veterans Affairs announced that monthly educational reimbursement payments under the Montgomery GI Bill will rise over the next two years.

For full-time students, the rate has increased from $672 to $800 per month. This fall it will jump again, to $900, and in October 2003 will rise to $985.

Additionally, VA educational payments will extend to high-technology courses not necessarily provided at traditional two- and four-year colleges. Veterans may receive a lump sum for certain expensive courses such as those leading to certification of computer network professionals.

VA will cover up to 60 percent of the cost of such high-tech courses beginning in October.

Guard and Reserve Get More Re-employment Protection The Secretary of the Air Force James Roche issued a determination that reservists who voluntarily return to active duty to support Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle will be eligible for the broadest application of re-employment rights. By law, those rights are normally only extended to reservists who are involuntarily called to active duty. USAF officials announced in late January that Roche had decided to include volunteers for broader protection under the law. However, they cautioned, not every Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve Command individual on active duty will get the exemption. For example, those already performing annual tours or on active duty for training would not qualify. Basically the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 provides re-employment rights for a cumulative period of up to five years of active duty service away from a civilian employer, said Col. Ray Knapp, a personnel reserve advisor at the Pentagon. "When you are involuntarily recalled, the [five-year] clock stops ticking," he said. "It does not automatically stop for those who volunteer for duty, even during a national emergency." The individual service Secretaries may declare an exemption to the clock for some volunteers for periods of active duty during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress, Knapp stated. "It's limited to those who are ordered to active duty, or retained on active duty beyond their stated separation date due to Stop-Loss, in direct or indirect support of the national emergency," he said. Those who were already on an Active Guard and Reserve tour before the national emergency was declared will not automatically be covered, even if their duties now relate to the current national emergency, explained Knapp. To address all the individual situations at the lowest level, the Air Force has directed that the orders-issuing official, usually the unit commander, be the determining authority. "They will be the stewards of this benefit," Knapp said. "However, there may be situations where the Secretary of the Air Force will make the determination," he added. Knapp also noted that the difference regarding nonvolunteer and volunteer status in the law was basically designed with the employer in mind. "It's a two-way street," he said. "When reservists enter onto military duty even for short periods of time, it places an additional burden on the member's civilian employer and coworkers who must either hire extra people or pick up the workload to fill the void." Under normal peacetime conditions, stated Knapp, the law limits how much time volunteers can be away from their civilian employers. In unusual times, there is the exemption rule. ANG and AFRC personnel eligible for the exemption will have a specific statement on their active duty orders, said officials. For those who received orders before the Secretary's determination, the statement will appear on their separation orders.

BAS Changes for Enlisted/Officer

For enlisted personnel, the Basic Allowance for Subsistence changed to an entitlement, just as it has been for officers.

The current monthly BAS rate for enlisted members is $241.50.

The new year also brought a BAS change for officers. The Pentagon lifted the old one percent growth cap on officer BAS.

Now BAS will increase by the same percentage for officer and enlisted members. It increases each January, based on the annual percentage increase of US Agriculture Department food costs.

Another change for enlisted members is that those in pay grades E-1 through E-6 who are assigned to single-type government quarters are entitled to BAS and may also receive essential station messing. That means those personnel will be charged the discount meal rate for all meals made available by a government dining facility, said officials.

The result is that they will be getting a slightly greater amount than when they were receiving partial-rate BAS.

CAF Becomes "Commemorative Air Force" The members of the Confederate Air Force voted to change the name of the volunteer, nonprofit World War II heritage organization to the Commemorative Air Force--retaining the group's acronym identification. The CAF dates its origin to 1951, when Lloyd Nolen purchased a surplus Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Several World War II­vintage aircraft were purchased over the next few years, including a P-51. Someone painted Confederate Air Force on that P-51's fuselage as a joke, but the name stuck when the group was officially chartered in Texas in 1961. Since then the membership has grown to more than 10,000 in 27 states and four foreign countries. About two years ago, the group started discussing a new name because an overwhelming number of members felt it did not really reflect the primary objectives of the organization, CAF officials said. Among the 1,000 names proposed were Ghost Squadron, Heritage Air Force, and Heritage Flying Museum. The name Ghost Squadron received the second highest number of votes. Over the years the CAF has purchased more than 140 World War II military aircraft--60 different types. If they are not in flying condition, the CAF restores them. CAF members take a number of the aircraft out for US air shows each year, performing before an estimated 10 million people. In addition to preserving military history through its vintage aircraft, the CAF began to collect World War II artifacts and built its first museum building in 1965. In 1989 the American Airpower Heritage Museum was set up as a separate non-profit organization. The museum's oral history program has collected more than 2,000 taped interviews of firsthand accounts of World War II veterans. In 1991 the CAF and its museum moved from south Texas, where they had been for 34 years, to Midland, Tex.

Pavement Is Not All the Same

Before any USAF pilot touched down on an "unknown" airfield in Southwest and Central Asia, the pavement engineers were there to ensure it could handle the load.

A pavement evaluation team from the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency at Tyndall AFB, Fla., was sent to check out potential airfields for use during Enduring Freedom. USAF said they arrived Oct. 21 and were still there in late January.

The team determines pavement thickness and the strength of underlying soil, then analyzes the gross allowable load for each of USAF's 14 classes of aircraft.

"What the airfield operator needs to know is, 'Can 5,000 C-17s take off at full weight at this location, and will I still have a viable airfield at the end of that?'" said Capt. Anthony Davit, chief of the pavement evaluation section.

The team has been conducting pavement evaluations in 10 countries in the region.

"Most airfields can support a few passes of an aircraft," said Davitt. It's the team's job to determine any limitations that may be necessary for longer-term operations.

Davitt said they quickly realized that evaluating Soviet-built airfields would pose unique problems because of differences in Western and Soviet construction techniques.

He said the Soviets used reinforcing steel and put it down in slabs, unlike most European and American airfields. "That presents different challenges, assumptions, things to look for."

Pilot Braves Icy Water to Save Child and Dog

Maj. Timothy Baldwin, an Air Force Reserve Command C-141 and Delta airlines pilot, rescued nine-year-old Ashlee Ball and her dog from an icy pond Dec. 27 in Bright, Ind.

Ball had gone out onto the thin ice of the pond in her family's backyard to try to save her dog, which had fallen through into the freezing water, and fell through herself.

Baldwin was driving by and stopped along with other motorists. He was the first to jump in.

Both the girl, after treatment at a hospital in Cincinnati, and her dog recovered.

Baldwin flies with the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

FDA OKs Anthrax Vaccine Facility

The US Food and Drug Administration announced Jan. 31 its final approval for BioPort, the Michigan-based anthrax vaccine producer and the sole supplier in the US, to begin routine distribution of licensed vaccine from its renovated facility.

Beginning in December 1999, the Pentagon sharply curtailed its program to vaccinate all US military personnel when BioPort failed to pass FDA inspections of its facility. DOD officials worried that they would run out of the vaccine, so they began inoculating only those in the most high-risk areas.

DOD began working with BioPort to get the program back on line.

With the FDA announcement, Pentagon officials said they were reviewing all factors relating to future use of the vaccine. They expected to make an announcement about its policy soon.

ESC Speeds E-mail for AWACS

An Electronic Systems Command office went into high gear after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to add e-mail capability to the portion of the Airborne Warning and Control System E-3 fleet working homeland defense.

ESC officials announced in mid-January that the AWACS program office at Hanscom AFB, Mass., was able to deliver six units nearly a year ahead of their planned schedule.

The systems, produced by Rockwell Collins, allow the transfer of secure data between the AWACS command center located at Tinker AFB, Okla., and the E-3s via e-mail rather than voice.

"Having the message in writing really reduces the likelihood of error," said 2nd Lt. Bill Hargrove, the program office's high frequency e-mail program manager.

The six units include two portable ground station kits, which have a laptop computer and a high frequency radio, and four airborne kits. The airborne kits consist of a customized laptop computer and printer the size of a large briefcase.

It provides high-speed data transfer, air-to-air and air-to-ground connectivity, and can be used for either classified or unclassified transmissions.

The AWACS unit, the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker, began using the new units in early January. The wing had been using two test kits immediately after Sept. 11. Those were sent to support Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan when that operation started.

Program officials said they plan to purchase 32 airborne kits, one for each E-3 in the fleet, plus spares.

Eventually the system will work without ground kits. The airborne units will connect directly to the secure Internet network known as SIPRNET, at 14 fixed ground stations worldwide.

Any aircraft with a high frequency radio and an automatic link establishment capability could potentially use this system, said Hargrove.

Medal of Honor Recipient "Red" Erwin Dies MSgt. Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin Sr., a World War II B-29 radio operator, died Jan. 16 at age 80. In April 1945 Erwin, as a staff sergeant, was radio operator aboard a B-29 on a low-level attack on a chemical plant at Koriyama, Japan. One of his additional duties was to drop a phosphorus smoke bomb through a chute in the B-29's floor when the lead bomber reached the assembly area over Japan. He pulled the pin and released the bomb into the chute, but the fuse malfunctioned, igniting the phosphorus-burning at a temperature of 1,300 degrees. The canister blew back up the chute into Erwin's face, blinding him and searing off his nose. The heavy smoke obscured the pilot's instrument panel. Erwin knew the bomb would burn through the metal floor into the bomb bay and the crew and aircraft would be lost. Though completely blinded, he located the burning bomb on the floor, picked it up, and stumbled forward. He reached the cockpit and threw the bomb out the copilot's window but was by then a walking torch. As the smoke cleared, the pilot pulled the bomber out of a dive at 300 feet above the water and turned toward Iwo Jima, the nearest location to get medical treatment for Erwin. At Iwo, the medics did not think the young radio operator could survive. Army Air Forces officials cut through red tape to get a Medal of Honor approved within hours so they could present it to him while he was still living. They presented the MOH to Erwin, but he surprised them all by surviving. After 30 months and numerous reconstructive surgeries in the States, Erwin regained his eyesight and the use of one arm. He received a disability discharge at the rank of master sergeant. The Air Force honored Erwin again in 1995 by creating the Henry E. Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Member of the Year Award. AAF Commanding General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold wrote to Erwin while he was at Iwo Jima: "I regard your act as one of the bravest in the records of this war."
Two-War Ace Gabreski Dies Retired Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski died of an apparent heart attack Jan. 31 at Huntington Hospital on Long Island, N.Y. He was 83. Gabreski was a leading Army Air Forces ace in World War II, with 28 aerial victories. He was set to return to the States after completing 193 missions, had his bags packed, but wangled just one more mission. His airplane was damaged and he had to belly-in. He eluded the Germans for five days but was finally captured and remained a prisoner of war for eight months, until the war ended. His aerial victories didn't end there. Gabreski racked up another 6.5 victories in the Korean War. He was one of only seven USAF pilots who were aces in both World War II and Korea. Gabreski went on to command several tactical and air defense wings. He was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame and was a president of the Air Force Association's Iron Gate Chapter in New York.
Ace Watson Dies Retired Col. Ralph J. "Doc" Watson, 85, died at his home at Hilton Head, S.C., Dec. 14. Watson earned five aerial victories during World War II in the European and North African theaters. After the war, he helped establish air bases in Turkey and went on to fly supersonic and experimental airplanes. He was featured in a film "Fighter Ace: The True Aces." He also served as president and chairman of the board of the American Fighter Aces Association.	Former Academy Superintendent Dies Retired Lt. Gen. Paul E. Stein died Jan. 10 at his home in Basye, Va., after a 14-month struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 57. Stein had last served as the superintendent of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He graduated from the academy in 1966. Among his assignments, he served as commander of Keesler Technical Training Center and chief of staff at Tactical Air Command.

News Notes

• On Jan. 25, the Missile Defense Agency, formerly the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, and the Navy successfully flight-tested a developmental Standard Missile 3, part of the Sea-Based Midcourse program. This was the fourth in nine planned developmental test flights. Though not part of the test, the kinetic warhead did impact the target.
• A 22nd Airlift Squadron C-5 crew from Travis AFB, Calif., faced an unusual challenge when it loaded and transported a bottom-mapping twin hull Navy boat to support Operation Enduring Freedom. The one-of-a-kind boat was designed to be hauled by the C-5, but it had only been test loaded once and never flown, stated loadmaster SrA. Michael Turner. Loadmaster SSgt. Tracey Heller said there was only about five inches of clearance on each side.
• USAF officials announced Jan. 17 their basing decision for the first operational wing of F-22 Raptors--Langley AFB, Va. The first F-22s are scheduled to arrive in September 2004.
• The US and Russia agreed in mid-January to set up several working groups to discuss defense-related issues prior to President Bush's planned visit to Moscow later this year. Russian Gen. Col. Yuri Baluyevskiy said his country would like the groups to reach a solid agreement on strategic nuclear weapons that Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin could sign during Bush's visit.
• Looking for a way to teach engineers how to test and evaluate electronic warfare systems--a discipline not found in engineering schools--the 412th Test Wing's Electronic Warfare Directorate set up a new program, called Electronic Warfare Test and Evaluation University, at Edwards AFB, Calif.
• L-3 Communications announced Jan. 29 that its Link Simulation and Training division received a $26 million contract to build two full mission trainers and four weapon tactics trainers for the F-22 program. They are to be delivered to Tyndall AFB, Fla. in February 2003.
• On Jan. 30 officials at Ramstein AB, Germany, celebrated the opening of the base's new passenger terminal--three times the size of the old facility. Ramstein is slated to be the European theater airlift hub as Rhein-Main AB continues toward closure in 2005. The new terminal, which took three years to build, is expected to be operational this month.
• Congress approved, in the Fiscal 2002 defense authorization act, a Pentagon plan to create a deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. In exchange DOD must eliminate an assistant secretary position, probably the assistant secretary of defense for force management position held by Charles S. Abell, reported Defense News. Abell would then become the new deputy undersecretary.
• AFRC opened a new C-141 schoolhouse Jan. 7 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. It is a one-of-a kind facility since the active force schoolhouse closed last year. Only AFRC and ANG units now fly C-141s, the last of which are slated for retirement in 2006.
• In mid-January, the Marine Corps brought out the first of its new camouflage uniforms. The pattern is so new, the Corps has actually applied for patents. The colors are basically similar to those in use now by the Air Force, Army, and Marines, but the pattern is a collection of tiny squares, like pixels in a computer photograph. Other changes include shoulder pockets, pockets for knee and elbow pads, and easy-care fabric. They'll be phased in by 2006.
• The Air Force Research Laboratory announced in January an award to Northrop Grumman of a $22.9 million contract to develop technologies for long-range precision engagement of moving surface threats. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is serving as agent for the Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement program. The contract is scheduled for completion in November.
• NATO is sending two more Airborne Warning and Control aircraft to the US. It already has five AWACS, operating out of Tinker AFB, Okla., assisting with US Combat Air Patrols.
• An armed F-15C fighter on its way to perform a CAP over Washington, D.C., skidded and burst into flames Jan. 17 when its front landing gear collapsed during takeoff at Langley. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft without injury. The flames went out quickly, and the weapons were removed without incident. The pilot and aircraft were from the 60th Fighter Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla.
• Lt. Gen. Paul V. Hester assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Jan. 16.
• Minnesota ANG C-130s transported members of the Minnesota Guard's 55th Civil Support Team to Minot, N.D., Jan. 18 to help with a train derailment and accompanying spill of anhydrous ammonia, a chemical used in fertilizer. The CST received its federal certification last November. Its area includes Minnesota, part of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
• Fire department and hazardous material team personnel from the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron at Minot AFB also responded to the train derailment as the ammonia fumes spread over the city of Minot. Base medical personnel set up an urgent treatment center and treated several local residents suffering from exposure to the fumes.
• India successfully test fired a nuclear-capable missile, the Agni, Jan. 25 from its eastern coast. A few days later it test fired a naval version of a short-range surface-to-air missile from its western coast.
• On Jan. 28, the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said there would be no war between India and Pakistan, saying all issues would be resolved peacefully. Each nation had put one million troops on standby. Even with that declaration, border clashes continued.
• Northrop Grumman announced Jan. 18 that it now owns 100 percent of Newport News Shipbuilding.
• USAF announced Jan. 14 that R. Russell Butts and Jacqueline R. Henningsen received Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Awards, the highest DOD award for civilians. Butts is a research physicist with AFRL's directed energy directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M. Henningsen is the associate director of the Air Force's modeling simulation and analysis office at the Pentagon.
• The Civil Air Patrol was part of the security force enlisted for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. CAP provided more than 150 members for air and ground support. CAP members also planned to assist with the Paralympics in Salt Lake City this month
• A USAF RQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle supporting Enduring Freedom crash-landed Jan. 25 while returning to its base in the theater of operations. Officials said the crash was not the result of hostile fire. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
• DOD notified Congress Jan. 28 that the Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams from the Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Virginia National Guard are certified. Congress has authorized a total of 32 teams. All 10 teams authorized in Fiscal 1999 are certified. These seven new teams were part of the 17 authorized in Fiscal 2000. Another five being formed now, said officials, were authorized in Fiscal 2001.
• F-22 Combined Test Force officials at Edwards AFB, Calif., certified the F-22 for hot pit refueling operations Jan. 25. That means the Raptor can be refueled on the ground while the engines are running--shortening the time needed for turnaround during testing. Officials said hot refueling was not scheduled until after April 2003, but they moved ahead to ensure they have the ability to fly multiple sorties per test mission even if air refueling support is unavailable because of real-world operations.