Category: Aviation

Source: United States Air Force

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) —  

The first-ever iteration of Bamboo Eagle, a U.S. Air Force Warfare Center-led exercise, kicked off in earnest at Nellis Air Force Base and various locations across the southwestern United States and parts of the Pacific Jan. 26.

The exercise is the first of its kind from the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, which conducts warfighter-centric live and virtual operational test and evaluation, tactics development and advanced training to optimize Air Force capabilities and prepare Airmen for joint, all-domain combat operations.

“This is our opportunity to see our 3rd Air Expeditionary Wing command-and-control force element, a C2 team made of members from the 3rd Wing and 673rd Air Base Wing, in a combat representative training environment,” said Col. Kevin Jamieson, commander of the AEW commander. “We’ll be practicing the hub-and-spoke concept along with agile combat employment to sustain operations across four spokes for the duration of Bamboo Eagle. The team has already done phenomenal work in getting us prepared to start this exercise, and now it’s time to see what we can do.”

As the host wing for four different spokes, also known as forward operating stations, the 3rd AEW acts as the mission command center, planning, directing and coordinating the four fighter units and one airlift unit at the operational level. The four spokes, all different locations closer to the airspace designated for the exercise, established operational capabilities for secure communications, ground refueling, air mobility teams and aircraft security measures leading up to the official start of the exercise as a facet of the Agile Combat Employment concept.

These small, lithe teams are learning how to quickly and efficiently set up these spokes to ensure they are operationally capable.

Lt. Col. Terry Fregly, 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, led the squadron through Red Flag 24-1 operations at Nellis AFB, which also serves as the hub for BE 24-1, and is now leading the 525th EFS operations at Naval Air Station North Island, California, which serves as one of the spokes for BE 24-1.

Fregly said BE 24-1 is crucial because it exercises concepts of distributed control, mission planning, and operations, which enable multiple fighter squadrons dispersed among various installations to complete missions on their own, at the direction of a geographically separated wing operations center.

Distributed control allows subordinate commanders to respond to changes in the operational environment and exploit emergent opportunities. This concept does not dilute the authority of the commander; rather, it proliferates that authority across a command.

“This is a new skillset for the U.S. Air Force and the joint force as a whole,” Fregly said. “The things we’re learning here are how to execute the agile combat employment mission set and how to take the lessons learned here and apply them in operations at home station, so we can train the way we fight.”

Fregly said executing distributed mission planning, execution and debrief drive an opportunity to learn from one mission, or vulnerability period, to the next, while executing these concepts across multiple fighter squadrons and various types of aircraft, simultaneously, for 24 hours a day, over an extended period of time.

Success in future conflict depends on how well U.S. forces combine with the broad range of allied and partner capabilities and expertise to secure common interests and promote shared values. Working closely with sister services to align and synchronize efforts improves joint interoperability and increases timely data-sharing while unifying command and control across all warfighting domains.

“Working with allies and partners is incredibly important,” Fregly said. “We can’t execute any operation across the globe without seamless integration with our allies, joint partners and government agencies. Getting to integrate, train and learn together strengthens our relationships now and will be vital to success for when we have to execute like this for real.”

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The highest-ranking enlisted leaders across the Department of Defense told Congress Jan. 31 that ensuring sufficient pay, health care, housing, education and other “quality of life” factors for active-duty personnel is essential to preserving readiness, maintaining the Total Force, and attracting the talent necessary to protect the nation’s security.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass and Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna told the Quality-of-Life Panel of the House Armed Services Committee that for all the attention on hardware, doctrine, and command structure, none of those can be maximized unless service members and their families are properly cared for and paid.

“The availability of childcare, health care, suitable housing and spouse employment are not solely quality of life issues,” Bentivegna told the House Armed Services Committee. “For Guardians with a 24/7 employed in place operations, these are not just benefits, these are readiness issues. In order to develop the combat ready, space-minded warfighters, our service is not seeking to buy end strength. Our aim is to reward talent and propensity to serve.”

Bass made a similar point at the hearing that also included comments from the senior enlisted leaders from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“One of our lines of efforts is specifically focused on people,” Bass emphasized. “We know that the strategic environment has changed. As such there is a race for talent across our nation, and we must recruit and retain the best that America has to offer. We can’t have service members distracted by whether or not they’re able to live in safe and affordable housing, whether or not they have access to childcare and health care, or any other challenges unique to serving our nation to include pay and compensation.”

Bass and Bentivegna also noted that while both services must address a list of similar quality of life issues and at times coordinate efforts and strategy, each service also faces a distinct and different subset of issues. Both highlighted the need to ensure competitive pay since both services rely on people with specialized training and skills that also are in high demand in the civilian world.

One of the biggest challenges for the Space Force is providing quality-of-life support that allows Space Force to recruit and retain highly educated, highly specialized personnel that the Space Force requires.

“Guardians entering the service today are more educated, digitally literate, and hungry not just for a job but for opportunities to solve hard problems and assume greater responsibilities in a professional environment that stretches into the far reaches of space,” Bentivegna said.

And much the same as Air Force pilots being lured away by lucrative airline salaries, Bentivegna said the Space Force’s highly trained Guardians need a value proposition to reward talent needed to retain the experience and their expertise.

“Our commitment and actions to care for them and their families protects and ensures their focus, resolve, and willingness to continue their journey in the Space Force,” he said. “This is the value proposition we offer; continuing to make their experience meaningful and fulfilling amidst lucrative options from other sectors that seek Guardians for their skills and talent.”

Bass also stressed the importance of prioritizing the quality of life of Airmen linking to readiness, recruitment and retention.

“We have an opportunity today to pull some levers that don’t increase the top line,” Bass said. “And so, I hope that we take an opportunity to look at pay and compensation, especially when you consider we have not done a targeted pay raised for your military service members since 2007.”

Focusing on improving the quality of life for Airmen and Guardians are essential as the Department of the Air Force takes a complete look at re-optimizing for great power competition.

“Every dollar invested in a service member pays dividends for the Space Force, Department of Defense and our nation,” Bentivegna said. “This investment is vital to retaining the experience required for great power competition.”

Both service leaders saw the HASC panel as an opportunity to represent Airmen, Guardians and their families and provide insight into the quality of service and quality of life of service members that affects the force.

“To that end, we have the opportunity now to make some real impact on the quality of life of our service members,” she said. “America’s sons and daughters are key to our national security and continuing to ensure our military is a place where people want to serve will take all of us.”
 

Source: United States Air Force

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AFNS) —  

Joint Base Andrews hosted the cast and creative team of AppleTV+’s “Masters of the Air,” along with World War II veterans, Department of the Air Force senior leaders, and service members for a reception and special screening of the series’ first episode, Jan. 27.

Based on Donald Miller’s 2007 book of the same title, “Masters of the Air” follows Airmen of the Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, commonly referred to as the “Bloody Hundredth,” as they conduct bombing raids over Nazi-occupied Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions and lack of oxygen during combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
 

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall expressed his gratitude to everyone for taking part in this historic event at Joint Base Andrews, especially noting the three senior living B-17 Eighth Air Force officers in the room, as well as Tuskegee Airmen and other WWII veterans and family members.
 
“We got a lot of great participation today,” Kendall said. “We’re extremely grateful to have our veterans here today. These men fought in the most difficult air environment in history. They built a legacy that our current Airmen and Guardians hope to live up to every single day.”
 
Retired Air Force Maj. John “Lucky” Luckadoo shared his own moment of recollection. After serving in WWII as a B-17 pilot in the 100th BG, he flew a total of 25 combat missions earning multiple honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross presented to recipients for acts of heroism while in aerial flight.
 
“I cannot tell you what a privilege it is to be in the august (dignified) company of brass,” said Luckadoo, the 101-year-old who remains active in WWII remembrance events today. “I was extremely fortunate to have been a member that is being memorialized in the film that you’ll be seeing, “The Masters of the Air.” It’s indeed an honor and a privilege, to be here – actually, it’s an honor to be anywhere!”
 
The Air Force’s top leaders attended the reception and screening, such as Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass and commanders of Air Force major commands around the globe. Airmen of all ranks were also afforded the opportunity to experience the special screening.

“I thought the ‘Masters of the Air’ show was outstanding,” said Senior Airman Ernst Motte, audience member of the special screening with the 1st Helicopter Squadron Aviation Resource Management office at JB Andrews. “It was really great to meet all the cast members and a couple of the retired WWII pilots. The film really spoke to the severity of the war and made me really proud of our history.”
 
Kirk Saduski, Playtone producer and executive, closed the evening by addressing WWII veterans and active service members in the crowd.
 
“It is too awful to contemplate a world in which the Allies didn’t win WWII,” said Saduski, who previously worked as executive-in-charge of the HBO series of “Band of Brothers” and co-producer of “The Pacific.”
 
“It is impossible to conceive of an Allied victory without the United States Air Force in Europe, and the Pacific, and the CBI (China-Burma-India) Theater,” Saduski said. “We draw the applause of the crowd. You earn the affection and admiration of our country. In the name of Playtone, Apple, and, if I may, our country – thank you.”
 
*The appearance of Department of Defense personnel does not imply endorsement by the DoD, nor the Department of the Air Force.

Source: United States Air Force

A recent Pew Research study concluded that nine in 10 Americans are aware of the use of artificial intelligence in their daily lives. As one might expect, 61% of Americans 65 and older are concerned about the growing use of AI.

What might not be as obvious is that 42% of Americans, the digital generation aged 18 to 29, have reservations about the proliferation of AI.

Across all ages, the percentage of Americans with concerns about the development and deployment of AI is growing.

However, very few people can accurately describe what artificial intelligence is and is not. Likewise, many do not have a firm grasp of AI’s current capabilities and uses.

Perceptions of AI are greatly influenced by media, particularly within the arts and social media, where AI is often anthropomorphized as replicated humans that develop feelings and violently express their angst against their creators.

The other common portrayal is that of super AI that does everything better than humans and eventually becomes a tyrannical overlord.

These depictions are sources of preconceptions about using artificial intelligence within the military.

Airman Magazine recently interviewed Col. Tucker Hamilton, 96th Operations Group commander at Eglin AFB and Air Force AI test and operations chief, to discuss the current state of AI within the Air Force, ongoing research, development and testing and AI’s place in building the force of the future.

Hamilton is an experimental fighter test pilot in the F-35 Lightning II program and was previously the director of the Department of the Air Force – MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator.

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

Beginning with the CY24 E6 promotion cycle in February, the Weighted Airman Promotion System test will be administered electronically, supporting a long-awaited modernization need in the Air Force’s personnel development efforts.

The eWAPS platform is a collaborative effort between the Air Force, the Personnel Data Research Institute and PearsonVUE. Airmen participating in the 2024 technical sergeant and staff sergeant promotion cycles will be the first to use this system.

“This initiative, along with others such as the myFSS applications, is just one of many human resources transformation efforts,” said Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services. “Transforming HR Information Technology is one of my five priorities and underpins the entire HR enterprise.”

Promotion-eligible Airmen can anticipate receiving invitational emails later this month, prompting them to visit the PearsonVUE website to establish an account by creating a username and password.

Test Control Officers or unit WAPS monitors will contact each eligible Airman to come into the base education and testing center to sign for their assigned official test date. During this time, they will review testing instructions and individual responsibilities, which include the requirement to have their username and password with them on test day.

Airmen will also receive instructions on how to create their PearsonVUE account if they did not receive the PearsonVUE email or did not create an account due to reasons such as not updating their email in vMPF or a deployment.

Airmen are required to arrive in uniform, punctually, and with their Common Access Card. Additionally, it is now imperative for them to remember their username and password.

Lack of preparation, to include not having or knowing their username and password, can result in being marked as a no-show for testing. Airmen can retrieve their username using their first and last name and their email account and will also be able to reset their password by responding to security questions they established during the account creation process. Airmen who cannot reset their password and access their PearsonVUE account will be marked as a no-show for testing.

“This is a transformative step that enhances the careers of our Airmen,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass. “By aligning with industry standards, e-testing ensures a secure and innovative platform for a fair and equitable opportunity in promotion and career advancement. It also streamlines the process by allowing test responses to be submitted directly to the Air Force Personnel Center, eliminating the need for traditional mailing of answer sheets. This advancement not only instills total confidence in our Airmen but also provides unhindered access, empowering them to reach goals with greater efficiency and effectiveness. This is a much-needed change…and there are more to come!”

Airmen who are not co-located near a base testing center, such as Airmen assigned to a geographically separated unit, could test at one of many PearsonVUE centers, affording greater flexibility.

If eligible Airmen do not receive an e-mail or they can’t find it, they can go directly to the PearsonVUE website and create an account. Accounts can only be created through the PearsonVUE website after Jan. 30, 2024.

Source: United States Air Force

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) —  

Over the past two weeks, Airmen from the 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Fighter Generation Squadron have been launching and flying the nation’s most capable multi-role fighter in the Air Force’s premier combat exercise.

Hundreds of pilots, maintainers, and support personnel from the 388th Fighter Wing have deployed to Nellis Air Force Base for Red Flag 24-1 with more than a dozen F-35A Lightning IIs from Hill AFB, Utah.

Red Flag, which started after the Vietnam War to provide pilots combat seasoning, has grown into an integrated ultra-modern fight, testing various units’ capabilities in the air, space and cyber domains. A friendly “Blue” force takes on an enemy “Red” force in scenarios created by a host “White” cell, the 414th Combat Training Squadron.

Night and day, participants on the ops side are huddling together, mission-planning solutions to defeat the complex problem sets presented by the exercise planners, and then flying to defeat them. Each scenario could see more than a hundred Red and Blue participants fighting in linked airspace across California, Nevada and Utah.

“Red Flag is a valuable opportunity for us to integrate the F-35 with other platforms and allied nations and fight in very realistic, challenging scenarios against the most advanced threats they can replicate,” said Lt. Col. Nathan Heguy, 421st FS commander.

As a multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35A’s primary job in many of these missions is Offensive Counter Air. This could mean escorting and protecting stealth bombers or other fighters by detecting and picking off enemy aircraft before they attack. Or, tracking down and eliminating surface-to-air threats with a combination of technology and tactics that are unique to the F-35. The Nevada Test and Training Range, in particular, replicates surface threats “better than anywhere else in the world.”

In this environment, where target objectives are protected by radar and surface-to-air missile networks woven together in lethal aerial shields, legacy aircraft cannot survive. The F-35’s stealth, advanced sensors, electronic attack and communications capabilities make it ideal for quarterbacking the modern fight.

“So far, we have had success taking these threats out and surviving, which is notable when you combine them with the very robust air-to-air threats here,” Heguy said. “But, not every day is a win. Some days are harder than others, and if we’re not struggling in training, we’re not training hard enough.” 

The F-35 has not only been holding its own in the air, but it’s been holding up on the ground as well, thanks to the maintainers in the 421st FGS.

“The jets have been performing extremely well. We haven’t lost a single sortie due to a maintenance issue,” said Maj. Bryan Butler, 421st FGS commander. “That’s a testament to our Airmen. Their ability to learn from this experience while executing the mission at the same time.

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

Department of the Air Force senior leaders, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, Gina Allvin, the CSAF’s spouse, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, and Rahn Bass, the CMSAF’s spouse, wish Airmen, Guardians and civilian teammates happy holidays.

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Source: United States Air Force

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS)   —  

This week’s look around the Air Force highlights the Offices of Special Trial Counsel taking over prosecution for sexual assault and other serious crimes, reimbursing pet travel expenses for permanent change of station moves, and the Army Ranger School looking for Airmen and Guardian candidates. (Hosted by Staff Sgt. Milton Hamilton)

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For previous episodes, click here for the Air Force TV page.

Source: United States Air Force

This week’s look around the Air Force highlights the life and legacy of the fifth CMSAF, a multinational exercise focuses on airborne integration in the Pacific and DoD expands a pilot program to renew USID cards online. (Hosted by Tech. Sgt. Eric Mann)