Category: Aviation

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Air Force recently announced the opening of two Regular Air Force FY24 Aviation Bonus programs – the FY24 Experienced Aviator Retention Incentive, formerly known as the Aviation Bonus, and the FY24 Demonstration Bonus. 

Eligible active-duty aviators have until Aug. 1, 2024, to apply for EARI and the FY24 Demonstration Bonus; however, the program eligibility window will close early if the budgetary maximum number of contracts are met before Aug. 1. 

Additionally, eligible Guard and Reserve aviators continue to have until Dec. 31, 2023, to apply for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve’s current 2023 Aviation Bonus programs. 

EARI builds upon the previous years’ offers to deliberately shape and retain experienced rated officers to meet Air Force retention, training, and mission readiness requirements to maintain the lethality of the force. Information will be announced separately in the future regarding the Reserve Component offering the FY24 EARI. 

“In today’s strategic environment, the requirement to preserve critical skills in our Air Force has never been more important,” said Maj. Gen. Adrian Spain, Director of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Headquarters, Air Force. “Specifically, aviation-related skillsets, formed through the crucible of combat and daily execution of high-intensity operations, is the foundation necessary to continue to effectively deliver warfighting capability to the Joint Force and the American people. Retaining these professional aviators’ experience and expertise within the Total Force is imperative in order to outpace future challenges that may emerge throughout the spectrum of conflict.” 

EARI, combined with the Rated Officer Retention Demonstration Bonus, offers specific rated officers with experience in flying critical weapon systems, both monetary and non-monetary incentives to extend their service commitment.  The monetary options range from $15,000 per year to $50,000 per year for contracts ranging from three to 12 years of additional service.  Non-monetary options continue to include an assignment of choice, assignment declination, or remain in place. 

EARI will be available for RegAF, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve rated officers. However, the Rated Officer Retention Demonstration Program will be only available to select RegAF rated officers. 

Complete eligibility requirements and application instructions is available on the myFSS website Welcome Page at myFSS (or by copying/pasting the following link into your browser: https://myfss.us.af.mil/USAFCommunity/s/knowledge-detail?xid=34479) 

Source: United States Air Force

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) —  

AFWERX is partnering with NASA to develop a digital operations center for future Advanced Air Mobility efforts through the Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program awardee, ResilienX.   

With the fast-growing field of AAM technology, AFWERX’s Airspace Innovation and Prime Partnerships program has partnered with NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration to fill in technological and administrative gaps that present themselves. Earlier in 2023, AFWERX formalized these partnerships with a Memorandum of Understanding and participation in the AAM Interagency Working Group to plot the future of AAM. 

The CCRPP is a NASA Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program which takes mission-relevant technologies in development and infuses them with funding intended to foster commercialization. 

This system is intended to enhance base security, special forces efforts, emergency disaster response, and passenger and cargo transportation planning. It is further being developed to include other technologies necessary for air domain awareness. 

“CCRPP is a true example of public-private partnership where government stakeholders and an industry consortium are working together on the airspace efforts,” said Darshan Divakaran, AFWERX Airspace Innovation and Prime Partnerships program manager. 

ResilienX is a company focused on the holistic safety assurance of AAM ecosystems and is leading the way with an industry consortium to create a digital system for AAM operations. The project intends to define and perform initial integration of an AAM Operations Center that is scalable, tactical and enables verification and validation of the various systems and sensors involved in uncrewed aerial systems, electric vertical take-off and landing operations, and other advanced aviation technologies. The initial AAM Operations Center will be built out in collaboration with NUAIR at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, with an aim to test and transition it to additional locations by 2025. 

Each company in the consortium contributes their industry expertise and technological advancements to create the most robust system possible. As additional requirements are included by military and other government stakeholders, AFWERX plans to bring in additional industry partners in the next phase. 

“We are thrilled with the trust AFWERX has put in us to lead this consortium,” said Ryan Pleskach, CEO of ResilienX. “Through a dedicated systems engineering approach, we intend to develop a dual-use solution to the core digital infrastructure needed for advanced air mobility that is inherently scalable and extensible. Through this pioneering effort and with support of all the federal stakeholders that AFWERX is bringing to the table, we believe this solution will be turnkey and available to government and commercial markets in late 2024.” 

Utilizing the research expertise of NASA and AFWERX’s subject matter experts, this collaborative project will attempt to meet the needs of the emerging field of AAM operations. It is informed by the U.S. Air Force AAM Operations Center requirements through testing and operator interactions. 

“Agility Prime helped pave the way for government and industry to work together on aircraft certification,” Divakaran said. “The Airspace Innovation team is taking it a step forward with airspace integration, management and security efforts focused on emerging aviation technologies.” 

The first phase of development will include a detailed need and task assessment, feature development with user interviews and observations, initial integration of baseline technologies, and testing. The second phase will see user testing of human factors, safety development, prototype testing, and a live demonstration of the system. 

For this project, ResilienX has received $4.8 million in AFWERX and NASA funding through the CCRPP. The program is planned to progress through October 2025.

Source: United States Air Force

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) —  

Air Force officials selected 506 Air Force senior master sergeants for promotion to chief master sergeant out of 2,249 eligible for a selection rate of 22.5% in the 23E9 promotion cycle, which includes supplemental promotion opportunities.

Senior raters will be granted access to the select lists via the Virtual Enlisted Promotion Release application on Nov. 29.

The chief master sergeant list will be publicly available on the Air Force Personnel Center Enlisted Promotions website Dec. 1 at 8 a.m. CST. Members will also be able to access their score notices on the virtual Military Personnel Flight via the AFPC secure page upon public release.

For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit the AFPC public website.

Source: United States Air Force

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) —  

Just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin made his first visit to the 37th Training Wing, marking the occasion by presiding over the oath of enlistment for 756 graduating Airmen.

Allvin emphasized the importance of service in the U.S. Air Force, highlighting the commitment and dedication of the next generation.

“Congratulations, you made the team,” Allvin said to the newly graduated Airmen. “This is a team that requires commitment.”

He went on to say that Airmen today are serving in a “time of consequence” and their commitment to service has never been more important.

Additionally, Allvin’s address was a reminder of the magnitude of the oath they were about to take and what is yet to come in the next chapter of their life as an American Airman, reminding them to serve honorably.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass also attended the event and imparted her own words of wisdom and encouragement.

“I was you over 30 years ago when I joined this winning team,” Bass said.

Bass told the crowd she signed up for the G.I. Bill and to “figure out life.” Four years later, she signed up again to pay off her car.

“Somewhere I learned what it really meant to be on this winning team and what it means to wear our nation’s cloth,” she added.

She then asked the graduates to make the organization better, to make their career fields better and to make the Air Force better.

During the senior leader’s visit to the 37th Training Wing, they made a brief stop at the 344th Training Squadron where they were met by Senior Master Sgt. Ladiwina Gilly, Air Force Recruiting Schoolhouse superintendent.

Gilly spoke about the crucial role the schoolhouse plays in preparing recruiters to inspire and engage with the public, and showcased the behind-the-scenes role-playing training that was on-going at the time. Additionally, Gilly described the schoolhouse’s “Seats to Streets” effort.

The program is a modernized approach for recruiting students to help sharpen their skills by leaving the simulated lab room environment and taking to the streets to interact with people. With basic training graduations occurring 48 times per year, future recruiters have many opportunities to engage with guests at the Airman’s Coin Ceremony on Wednesdays.

“Seats to Streets effectively trains students on rejection and how to respond when told ‘no,’” Gilly said.

She emphasized to leadership that learning how to accept rejection was an important part of the training process.

Allvin and Bass visited with more than 60 of the Air Force’s newest recruiters in training and were able to gain insights into the training processes.

Following the recruiting schoolhouse, the visit continued along the training continuum to basic military training to tour BMT facilities and observe training in action.

While touring a dormitory and observing a trainee’s bed and locker area, Allvin decided to “pull a 341” from a trainee who was only in their second week of training. He indicated on the 341 that “this is impressive … keep pushing” and signed it “CSAF #23.”

A form 341 is used to document discrepancies or excellence for trainee performance. The CSAF’s note of encouragement was left on the trainee’s bed, only to be discovered later.

At the conclusion of the tour, Allvin and Bass expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome and praised the dedication and professionalism of the Airmen at the 37 TRW.

The visit underscored the vital role the wing plays in shaping the future of the Air Force.

Source: United States Air Force

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) —  

In this week’s look around the Air Force, the new Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David W. Allvin is welcomed by the force, a new benefit aids spouse-owned small businesses, and a new app helps military families find short-term childcare. (Hosted by Tech. Sgt. Vernon Young)

Watch on DVIDS | Watch on YouTube
For previous episodes, click here for the Air Force TV page.

Source: United States Air Force

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFNS) —  

Airmen assigned to the 92nd and the 141st Air Refueling Wings conducted exercise Titan Fury 24-1 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Nov. 13-17.

During the exercise, Airmen demonstrated how various support activities contribute to mobilizing KC-135 Stratotankers at a moment’s notice if called upon to support strategic deterrence and other National Defense Strategy priorities.

“It’s critically important that Fairchild Air Force Base conducts exercises like this for one reason only, and that’s deterrence,” said Lt. Col. William Dowd, 97th Air Refueling Squadron commander. “We have to send a clear message to our adversaries and allies alike that Fairchild Air Force Base stands ready to execute this mission. Without making sure our crews are ready and able—regardless of how hard it is and how fast we need them to be—we can’t ensure the delivery of deterrence worldwide.”

For decades, the KC-135 has been the backbone of Air Mobility Command’s air refueling capabilities around the world because of its ability to extend global reach and project U.S. airpower.

Dowd explained how teamwork and collaboration are the keys to Fairchild AFB’s ability to keep this proud tradition going strong.

“The teamwork that goes into executing a mission of this scale really boils down to the relationship between operations and maintenance, then everything else has to come up and build the support pyramid for those two,” he said. “It is a challenging week for everybody, from maintenance and operations to the defenders in security forces who protect the ramp and aircraft and the folks in the Force Support Squadron who are turning out meals for them and bringing food to the crews at the jet.”

Dowd also praised the hard work and long hours of airfield managers, fuel operations, safety, inspector general and the other essential functions of the exercise that enable mission readiness.

“We could tell they were getting tired, but there was a gleam in their eyes, and we knew they were ready to show the world that Fairchild is ready to execute this mission,” he said. “The 92nd ARW, along with our Guard partners, the 141st ARW, conduct these exercises to ensure we are always prepared because there isn’t an aircraft in our fleet that can kick ass without tanker gas.”

In addition to the 92nd ARW active duty and 141st ARW Air National Guard units at Fairchild AFB, TF-24-1 included aircraft and personnel assigned to the 912th Air Refueling Squadron who traveled from March AFB, California, to participate. The 912th ARS is a geographically separated unit of the 92nd ARW.

According to Lt. Col. Roque Zarate, 912th ARS director of operations, participating in the exercise enabled his unit to integrate with 92nd ARW Airmen and build interoperability in a training environment that resembles the manner in which they would operate during a real-world scenario.

“Titan Fury is important, not only for the aircrews and maintenance, but for our controllers as well,” he explained. “They have to practice things that maybe they’re not used to with the crews that are organic to the 92nd. So, for them to actually integrate us into the exercise, being a geographically separated unit, there’s a lot more planning and a lot more nuances. It’s important for everybody to exercise the way we would go to war, or really, to deter our adversaries from attacking us.

“It’s nice just for us to be able to come here and see how our parent wing executes the same [mission],” Zarate added. “We’re taking lots of notes on how we can do things better at March, and we’re also providing notes to Fairchild on what they can do better.”

Master Sgt. Dustin Brockman, a generation superintendent for TF 24-1, highlighted the importance of exercising to build both proficiency and speed.

“[Getting] the aircraft ready quickly is important,” he said. “If it was a real-world situation, we don’t know how fast we would need to act. If we take too long to get ready, then we might not be able to meet the mission requirements. We work quickly yet safely to get the aircraft generated as fast as possible.”

Like many Airmen, this exercise was a first for Capt. John Will, a KC-135 pilot assigned to the 97th Air Refueling Squadron. He said his first Titan Fury experience enabled him to develop at a steady pace in his role as an aircraft commander supporting Fairchild AFB’s mission.

“There’s still a lot of learning to be done,” he said. “I feel like with every step of the process, I’ve been slowly learning this mission and getting better at it. We do other smaller exercises and classes to get us ready for this, so it’s not just everything at once. Seeing it all come together has been really cool.”

This recurring total force exercise is an example of how the 92nd ARW and the 141st ARW at Fairchild AFB are engaged, postured and ready with a credible force to assure, deter and defend in an increasingly complex security environment.

“We ran 24-hour operations for a week, generated 21 aircraft and demonstrated our ability to deploy personnel and conduct our mission from anywhere,” said Col. Chesley Dycus, 92nd ARW commander. “We did this all by combining our efforts with our teammates in the 141st ARW, and the crews and jet here from the 912th ARS. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Source: United States Air Force

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFNS) —  

Airmen assigned to the 92nd and the 141st Air Refueling Wings conducted exercise Titan Fury 24-1 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Nov. 13-17.

During the exercise, Airmen demonstrated how various support activities contribute to mobilizing KC-135 Stratotankers at a moment’s notice if called upon to support strategic deterrence and other National Defense Strategy priorities.

“It’s critically important that Fairchild Air Force Base conducts exercises like this for one reason only, and that’s deterrence,” said Lt. Col. William Dowd, 97th Air Refueling Squadron commander. “We have to send a clear message to our adversaries and allies alike that Fairchild Air Force Base stands ready to execute this mission. Without making sure our crews are ready and able—regardless of how hard it is and how fast we need them to be—we can’t ensure the delivery of deterrence worldwide.”

For decades, the KC-135 has been the backbone of Air Mobility Command’s air refueling capabilities around the world because of its ability to extend global reach and project U.S. airpower.

Dowd explained how teamwork and collaboration are the keys to Fairchild AFB’s ability to keep this proud tradition going strong.

“The teamwork that goes into executing a mission of this scale really boils down to the relationship between operations and maintenance, then everything else has to come up and build the support pyramid for those two,” he said. “It is a challenging week for everybody, from maintenance and operations to the defenders in security forces who protect the ramp and aircraft and the folks in the Force Support Squadron who are turning out meals for them and bringing food to the crews at the jet.”

Dowd also praised the hard work and long hours of airfield managers, fuel operations, safety, inspector general and the other essential functions of the exercise that enable mission readiness.

“We could tell they were getting tired, but there was a gleam in their eyes, and we knew they were ready to show the world that Fairchild is ready to execute this mission,” he said. “The 92nd ARW, along with our Guard partners, the 141st ARW, conduct these exercises to ensure we are always prepared because there isn’t an aircraft in our fleet that can kick ass without tanker gas.”

In addition to the 92nd ARW active duty and 141st ARW Air National Guard units at Fairchild AFB, TF-24-1 included aircraft and personnel assigned to the 912th Air Refueling Squadron who traveled from March AFB, California, to participate. The 912th ARS is a geographically separated unit of the 92nd ARW.

According to Lt. Col. Roque Zarate, 912th ARS director of operations, participating in the exercise enabled his unit to integrate with 92nd ARW Airmen and build interoperability in a training environment that resembles the manner in which they would operate during a real-world scenario.

“Titan Fury is important, not only for the aircrews and maintenance, but for our controllers as well,” he explained. “They have to practice things that maybe they’re not used to with the crews that are organic to the 92nd. So, for them to actually integrate us into the exercise, being a geographically separated unit, there’s a lot more planning and a lot more nuances. It’s important for everybody to exercise the way we would go to war, or really, to deter our adversaries from attacking us.

“It’s nice just for us to be able to come here and see how our parent wing executes the same [mission],” Zarate added. “We’re taking lots of notes on how we can do things better at March, and we’re also providing notes to Fairchild on what they can do better.”

Master Sgt. Dustin Brockman, a generation superintendent for TF 24-1, highlighted the importance of exercising to build both proficiency and speed.

“[Getting] the aircraft ready quickly is important,” he said. “If it was a real-world situation, we don’t know how fast we would need to act. If we take too long to get ready, then we might not be able to meet the mission requirements. We work quickly yet safely to get the aircraft generated as fast as possible.”

Like many Airmen, this exercise was a first for Capt. John Will, a KC-135 pilot assigned to the 97th Air Refueling Squadron. He said his first Titan Fury experience enabled him to develop at a steady pace in his role as an aircraft commander supporting Fairchild AFB’s mission.

“There’s still a lot of learning to be done,” he said. “I feel like with every step of the process, I’ve been slowly learning this mission and getting better at it. We do other smaller exercises and classes to get us ready for this, so it’s not just everything at once. Seeing it all come together has been really cool.”

This recurring total force exercise is an example of how the 92nd ARW and the 141st ARW at Fairchild AFB are engaged, postured and ready with a credible force to assure, deter and defend in an increasingly complex security environment.

“We ran 24-hour operations for a week, generated 21 aircraft and demonstrated our ability to deploy personnel and conduct our mission from anywhere,” said Col. Chesley Dycus, 92nd ARW commander. “We did this all by combining our efforts with our teammates in the 141st ARW, and the crews and jet here from the 912th ARS. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Source: United States Air Force

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) —  

Moody Air Force Base entered exercise Mosaic Tiger 24 -1 from Nov. 13-17. The exercise took place across various locations including Moody AFB; Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range; MacDill AFB, Florida; and Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.

The exercise aims to test the continued concept of command and control and the 23rd Wing’s ability to generate airpower in less-than-ideal conditions as an Expeditionary Air Base.

The week-long exercise, similar to previous iterations, provides an opportunity to test many capabilities, including multi-capable Airmen, agile combat employment, base defense, overcoming degraded communications and executing contingency location operations.

While the exercise tests multiple concepts, Mosaic Tiger 24-1 emphasizes mission command and its core fundamentals—centralized command, distributed control and decentralized execution.

“As we execute this exercise, we want to build confidence in accepting increased levels of risk in the distribution of control and execution of missions,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Shelly, 23rd Wing chief of A-Staff. “By entrusting our intelligence, communications and operations communities, the goal is to successfully use command and control in austere and dispersed locations while combatting degraded communications, all while trusting our Airmen in various positions and locations to make command and execution decisions at lower, appropriate levels.”

Although Mosaic Tiger is a wing-level exercise, the 23rd Wing aims to continue directly validating Air Combat Command’s power projection through contested environments by way of decentralized command.

“Mosaic Tiger remains as significant to Air Combat Command as it has for past iterations—the use of decentralized command for this exercise speaks directly to the idea that in certain environments, the risk of inaction can be a bigger risk than action at lower levels,” said Col. Paul Sheets, 23rd Wing commander. “This exercise continues to test the exact concepts needed to win the next war.”

With the 23rd Wing having embraced the Lead Wing concept for a few years now, the “Flying Tigers” are no strangers to the importance of MCA and the concepts needed for the success of future crisis or conflict.

Source: United States Air Force

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —  

Committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, air chiefs and senior enlisted leaders from around the world convened for the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2023 at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Nov. 13-16. 

The four-day symposium was held to foster regional security, stability, interoperability, leadership development, knowledge exchanges, and to ensure a shared understanding of challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, PACAF commander, hosted the historic event, which was attended by U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, and the senior air force leaders of 22 nations.

“In our current era of strategic competition, it is imperative that the U.S. Air Force follows through with our allies and partners to enhance our competitive advantage and secure common interests. That is exactly what I came here to do and I’m fully confident we achieved that goal.” U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin

The briefings and forums held throughout PACS 23 emphasized the value of enduring relationships with Allies and partners, how combined forces succeed, and what distinguishes them from competitors. The symposium also explored how lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine can be applied to ensure the Pacific region takes necessary steps to prevent conflict.

“The challenges we face in the Indo-Pacific are more complex than ever, but we are not addressing them alone.” Gen. Ken Wilsbach

“This symposium not only strengthened bonds with nations around the world, but also provided a platform to share best practices, sharpen our competitive edge, promote shared values, and ultimately reinforce security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Wilsbach said.

During lessons learned briefings, senior leaders discussed the importance of air superiority, rapid runway repair, agile combat employment, and asset dispersal among the many topics related to deterring aggression through modernization, forward presence, and rapid response capabilities.

Other forums at PACS 23 facilitated collaboration with Allies and partners in collective endeavors such as increasing interoperability, information sharing, and resolve to sharpen combined efforts in developing a networked security architecture.

“During such tumultuous times, we must increase our efforts to ensure peace.”Maj. Gen. Kelvin Khong

 

“This does not mean the absence of disagreements, because this has never happened in history. Instead, it is about how we manage our differences – through dialogue, through mutual trust and understanding, and working constructively together where our interests lie,” said Maj. Gen. Kelvin Khong, chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force and acting dean of this year’s symposium.

In an age of long-term strategic competition that challenges international norms, U.S. Air Force senior leaders will continue to use events such as PACS 23 to refine ways of managing competition responsibly to prevent conflict and promote the shared values of freedom of navigation and overflight, adherence to international law, and maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Source: United States Air Force

“This training opportunity benefits both sides by giving our respective crews new encounters with environments and capabilities,” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Tim Mathis, USCG STA Mayport unit supervisor. “Complacency can be the divider between failure and success, and exposing search-and-rescue resources to fresh scenarios deepens the well to draw from when the call comes in real time.”

The search-and-rescue community is a tight-knit group of professionals, regardless of their branch of service. During the remainder of the day, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen worked to establish effective communication practices and demonstrate joint team integration when faced with real-time situations.

Mendes said mission success depends on how well integrated forces can merge to streamline communication and overcome differences in execution methods. There is overlap between the Air Force’s search and rescue mission and the Coast Guard’s commitment to ensuring maritime safety—both of which came together to produce an effective outcome during a rescue need.

“We benefit from working with the Air Force by working through a different set of scenarios that we may not usually see or expect,” Mathis said. “This promotes real-time risk assessment and evaluation that is essential to growing as first responders. The opportunity to develop a universal standard or response cannot be understated as more resources are available to respond in any given situation.”