Category: United States Defense

Source: United States Air Force

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AFNS) —  

The 55th Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium brought together 1,500 Mobility Airmen in a single forum in Grapevine, Texas, Nov. 9 – 12, along with Department of Defense senior leaders and industry partners. 
 
During the event, themed “Forging Warriors, Projecting America’s Lethality,” Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, provided his final “State of the Mobility Air Forces,” in which he honored recent MAF actions while urging Airmen to capitalize on accomplishments and triumph over existing and anticipated challenges.   

  
“I should not be here because of [real-world] chaos, but I’m freaking here,” Minihan said. “That’s because it ain’t really chaos; this team’s got it gripped! What would cripple any other Air Force – cripple – is actually our greatest strength.” 

The MAF’s persistent global mobility presence in the past year – exemplified through Mobility Guardian execution, humanitarian response and deterrence of adversarial aggression – reaffirmed that air mobility Airmen will not shy from adversity, regardless of regional challenges.  

In a virtual keynote address, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall also emphasized AMC’s consistent and reliable footprint around the globe over the past year. 

“We’ve had the Ukrainian conflict and our efforts to help the Ukrainians resist Russian aggression; you’ve been a major component of that,” Kendall said. “We’ve had now the operations in [CENTCOM] where you’re supporting our partners as they’re responding to the devastating attacks that they endured.”   

In the month of October alone, AMC flew more than 2,100 global missions and nearly 5,500 sorties, transporting more than 27,000 tons of cargo and more than 64,000 passengers. 
 
This sentiment of the MAF’s ability to “grow from disorder,” as Minihan puts it, was echoed by DoD senior leaders throughout the three-day symposium. 
 
“You’ve remained agile to fluctuating demands, you’ve embraced the thrash between the scenes, and you’ve ensured the flow of aid is met at the speed of need,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Sullivan, U.S. Transportation Command deputy commander, during his remarks.

He highlighted the MAF’s response to Türkiye and Syria earthquakes within 24 hours of notification, helping to free 1,000 survivors from the rubble alongside 20 NATO allies and partners. 

Sullivan also highlighted ways in which the MAF anticipates the speed of need and built solutions to meet these requests. AMC’s maintenance modernization team – represented by Timothy Stevens, Boyd Rinderer, Jerry Hunter and Tech. Sgt. David Shepherd – pursued advanced training environments affecting 13,000 maintenance technicians across 23 locations.

This resulted in saving $16 million and 10,000 man-hours, cutting aircraft usage 40%, and increasing maintenance training 30%.

Chief Master Sgt. Jamie Newman, AMC command chief, asserted that the Air Force’s historical dominance, as well as its continued dominance, is a direct result of the Airmen who recognize embracing failure as a vital component to being victorious.  

“We have a problem in the Air Force,” Newman said. “We don’t know how to lose… We’re gonna have Airmen who are doing things we haven’t even thought of yet.” 

Minihan emphasized that Airmen like this, who “drive” rather than allowing themselves to “be driven,” is exactly the requirement to generate irreversible momentum to match and exceed future requirements. The sense of urgency was expressed among other senior leaders in attendance. 

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, who spoke on the second day of the symposium, stressed the necessity of change to defend the nation and its interests.  

“You are going to see more change in the next four to six years than I have seen in my entire 30-year career,” Bass said. “And it’s about time.” 

Kendall said Airmen can expect to see evolutions in next generation capability, contingency response, and the approach to the Air Force Force Generation process as it applies to the MAF.  

“When I came into office, I was focused on modernization and we set up the seven operational imperatives, as we call them, to address our most pressing operational problems,” Kendall said. “We’ve moved forward with that and placed a lot of things into our budget and identified additional things through exercises like Mobility Guardian.”

To effectively respond to combatant commands’ requirements spanning across every geographic area of responsibility, AMC has identified command and control, connectivity, command relationships and exploding into theater as crucial focus areas following MG23.

“As ready as we are, we need to be more ready,” Minihan said. “As integrated as we are, we need to be more integrated. As agile as we are, we need to be more agile. Can this team – can this family – have the tough conversation with itself on how to aggressively close the gaps?” 

Minihan believes the answer is ‘yes.’

Attendees had access to 10 keynote speeches and 20 seminars addressing evolutions in education, leadership and Agile Combat Employment, to include seminars specific to MG23 lessons learned, post-MG23 actions, game-changing initiatives, and leveraging emotional intelligence for combat readiness.

Additionally, MAF Airmen and spouses were recognized for personal and professional achievements, and 337 medals were awarded to Airmen for their actions taken during Operation Allies Refuge.

The Palmetto Military Support Group supporting Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina won this year’s Abilene Trophy, which recognizes the community that best supports an AMC base throughout the year.  

Mary Graham from the PMSG received the Tampa Bay Trophy for exhibiting sustained and enduring service to the community. 

All keynote speeches and select AMC seminars can be accessed through the 2023 A/TA Symposium feature page.

Source: United States Air Force

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

An app that makes it easier to sublet short-term childcare slots will soon be available at all Department of the Air Force-run child development centers.

Now available at 24 installations, Kinderspot helps Department of Defense families on Air and Space Force bases offer or find weeklong blocks of time for rent at the CDC. With a goal of reaching all remaining DAF CDCs by July 2024, Kinderspot will launch at several new installations each month, said Jennifer Penafiel, Air Force Services Center child development and youth programs specialist.

By centralizing and streamlining the subletting process, Kinderspot helps CDCs maximize schedule availability and offers families more flexibility to plan for their childcare needs, Penafiel said. The app, currently supporting preschool age and younger children, enables families already enrolled at a DAF CDC to offer their weeklong blocks of time to other families, receiving a credit to their account when another family rents their spot.

“Families are very excited there is a program that allows them to temporarily rent a childcare space,” said Derrick Ross, CDC lead administration clerk at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. “The process is not long or complicated and families know exactly which classroom they will be assigned to.”

Families without a child currently enrolled at a CDC must complete paperwork to become a verified renter at their CDC before booking available weeks through the app. Rental fees are paid directly to the CDC at the renter’s rate, based on the family’s total family income.

“Kinderspot is so user friendly and gives me peace of mind to know my spot is being utilized when we are out of town for family vacations,” said Maj. Jessie James, Peterson SFB, Colorado. “I love that I’m saving money and another family is receiving care at their rate. It’s a win-win.”

With more than 6,200 users as of November, the app has already facilitated the rental of nearly 3,700 short-term child care spots.

“As soon as my base adopted Kinderspot, I used the app and was able to sublet my child’s CDC spot for a week,” said Lt. Col. Kelly Atkinson, who is stationed at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado. “The program was easy to use, clear and intuitive. Best of all, Kinderspot not only helped my family save on childcare costs but also ensured another military family had access to childcare for that week. I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate this service and the innovative leaders who filled this need by creating this program.”

The brainchild of Maj. Jacque Vasta, air officer commanding for Cadet Squadron 35 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, Kinderspot was the top idea at the 2020 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo. AFIMSC initially awarded the project $333,000 and secured additional funding for development through a price-matching Small Business Innovation Research contract.

To design a helpful tool for military families, the AFIMSC Ventures innovation office partnered with Oddball, a digital services team specializing in transforming government software. It also worked closely with AFSVC to shape the app and processes to align with child and youth program priorities and efforts. AFIMSC and AFSVC began testing the app in 2021. Since then, developers have improved the app’s security and functionality and added a few new features, including push and wait-list notifications.

“With today’s technology, everyone utilizes a mobile device for everyday life and family management. Adding the new push and wait-list notification options provides installations, managers and families the convenience of subletting their childcare spot with ease,” said Senior Master Sgt. Shawanda Summers, AFSVC Community Services senior enlisted leader.

For Vasta, seeing Kinderspot transform from a small concept she developed in her living room into a live mobile app available for military families across the globe has been exciting.

“The journey has been an invaluable source of learning and growth for me and would not have been possible without the tremendous support of AFIMSC, AFSVC Child and Youth Programs and the families who’ve warmly embraced Kinderspot,” she said. “The future is bright with care we can share!”

Kinderspot is available for both Apple and Android devices. Visit here for more information.

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force is now reimbursing service members up to $1,000 to re-establish spouse-owned small businesses during a permanent change of station or assignment on or after Dec. 23, 2022.

“Spouse employment is a key factor in the success of our Airmen and Guardians. Dual-income households contribute to military readiness, allowing service members to focus on their mission. Investing in our spouses’ careers is not just the right thing to do, it makes our Airmen and Guardians’ service possible,” said Alex Wagner, assistant secretary of the Air Force Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “This effort will also help ease the burden of relocations and facilitate the ability of our members’ spouses to return to work quickly.”

The spouse-owned small business reimbursement applies to PCS or PCA orders on or after Dec. 23, 2022; members must file a claim within 24 months of the date the PCS or PCA orders are authenticated.

This new reimbursement can be used in conjunction with the existing $1,000 reimbursement for spouses who required re-certification or re-licensing, increasing the possible total reimbursement up to $2,000.

Members are encouraged to contact their installation’s Military & Family Readiness Center with questions about eligibility and how to submit a claim. The service member’s servicing finance office will work with both the member and their spouse to verify eligibility and provide necessary documentation of qualified expenses to begin the reimbursement process.

Source: United States Air Force

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFNS) —  

The 56th Fighter Wing conducted Instructor Pilot War Day in conjunction with a larger joint-force exercise hosted by the 944th Fighter Wing, Exercise Desert Hammer, Nov. 3-4, over the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona.

Source: United States Air Force

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) —  

At 100 years old, World War II and Korean War airpower legend, retired Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III., one of the nation’s first African American fighter pilots with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, received an honorary promotion to the rank of colonel Nov. 4. The honorary promotion took place on Denver’s Empower Field during halftime of the game between the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons and the U.S. Military Academy Black Knights.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet initiated the promotion this past summer, and Harvey’s daughters, Alysyn Green and Kathy Harvey, and his niece Karen Jackson pinned on the silver eagle rank of colonel.

“Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III led a distinguished career as a 22-year Army veteran and member of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen,” Bennet said. “Having served in a military that was still segregated, he faced no shortage of obstacles, but his incredible courage, skill, and perseverance led him to earn repeated honors, including as the military’s first [African American] fighter jet pilot to fly in Korean airspace and the winner of the military’s original ‘Top Gun’ competition.”

In 1949, at the first Top Gunnery Meet at (then) Las Vegas Air Force Base, Nevada, fighter groups nationwide flew in to participate. Then a lieutenant, Harvey and fellow 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Airmen were among the competitors. They executed magnificently in all phases of the meet and were the overall winners. For decades, the record was unceremoniously missing, and official Air Force records listed the winner as unknown. In 1993, the Air Force corrected the record when retired Col. Harry Stewart, from the 1949 team, returned to now-Nellis AFB, Nevada, with proof of the 332nd Fighter Group win.

“I’m honored to have supported Lieutenant Colonel Harvey’s honorary promotion and to recognize his contributions to our country’s history and the advancement of civil rights,” Bennet said.

To honor Harvey and all the Tuskegee Airmen, two planes embodying their legacy flew overhead during the Air Force-Army game. The P-47 Thunderbolt, the plane flown by Tuskegee Airmen from the 332nd Fighter Wing to win the first ever William Tell competition in 1949, and the P-51 Mustang, made iconic by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, soared overhead in celebration of the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy. 

Source: United States Air Force

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) —  

Beale Air Force Base recently piloted its first Multi-Capable Airman course, with members from career fields across the 9th Reconnaissance Wing participating Oct. 16–27.

Wing leadership directed the course’s creation to support the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept. ACE requires the expedient movement of personnel and equipment to support the recovery, refueling, and launching of assets with a smaller footprint.

The intent of the course is to develop Airmen who are proficient in their primary AFSC by equipping them with expeditionary skills and training which they can employ in deployed environments or on home station if needed, according to Maj. Matthew Mays, 9th Reconnaissance Wing A4 (Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection) director.  

“Not only does this training help prepare our Airmen for successfully supporting the day-to-day mission downrange, but it also helps support the future of Agile Combat Employment operations at forward operating sites and contingency locations,” Mays said. “It is part of an Air Force initiative to move away from large-scale force packages and prepare units to operate as leaner, more agile forces within a permissive environment.”

The class was comprised of 24 students ranging from maintainers to paralegals who had prepared by completing Ready Airman Training, covering combat arms and training maintenance, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives training and other combat topics, before beginning MCA training.

Instructors considered subject matter experts in their respective fields were chosen to teach concepts necessary to qualify graduates as multi-capable Airmen. Staff Sgt. Clayton Johnson, 9th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels mobile distribution supervisor, was one of the instructors during the course.

“I was here to teach [all-terrain] forklift operations,” Johnson said. “This portion is important because when we go downrange, if we have to drive a forklift and do not have a certified forklift operator, we can still move cargo that comes in and out of aircraft.”

In the two-week course, instructors taught concepts including tactical combat casualty care, air base ground defense, aircraft familiarization and safety protocols. The course culminated in an all-day field training exercise where Airmen applied their new knowledge.

 
The exercise involved a small shelter system setup, entry control point setup, tactical movements and complex assault and recovery actions. Students were tasked with successfully passing every event presented to them both in the classroom and field training event to receive the MCA qualification.

The 9th RW plans to provide this course for Airmen once per quarter. Airmen who become certified in the course must also participate in at least one certifying event, such as a large-scale readiness exercise, every two years during their ready phase to retain their proficiency.

Beale has employed these concepts during exercises such as Dragon Flag East and Dragon Fang, which tested the wing’s ability to employ ACE and MCA capabilities. The new course allows Airmen to receive MCA training in a formal setting for the first time.

“Being a Multi-Capable Airman is about generating airpower,” said Chief Master Sgt. Breanna Oliver, 9th RW command chief. “We can all contribute to that no matter what our function is because at the end of the day, we need to get planes in the air. That is what we bring to the joint force.”

MCA provides a critical role in sustaining a more lethal force ready to face near-peer adversaries and efficiently execute the mission around the globe.