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CSAF presents Mackay Trophy to 53rd Wing pilot for most meritorious flight of 2022

Source: United States Air Force

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) —  

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin presented Maj. Stephen Keck, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, the 2022 Mackay Trophy on Jan. 11, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

“Major Keck’s inspiring actions reflect exactly what it takes to be a stellar Airman and aviator – ingenuity, tenacity, and audacity,” Allvin said. “Moreover, any time your name is on a trophy alongside the likes of Hap Arnold, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Chuck Yeager, you have done something truly special.”

Keck received this honor for his actions while serving as the Defensive Counter-Air Team Lead for the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron during a mission at an undisclosed location.

While supporting a special operations team in contested enemy territory, Keck and the weapons system officer, Lt. Col. John Rabun, identified a critical error during ingress that would have given away the task force’s position. In response, Keck and Rabun corrected the error by being proactive and shifting to a more aggressive posture of their forces.

During the mission, Keck also identified an adversary aircraft in the contested airspace and initiated an intercept to ensure the safety of ground forces. Ultimately, the success of the operation resulted in the capture of a senior terrorist leader.

“The team I worked with during the mission was outstanding,” Keck said. “When we flew that night, we had a very well developed and understood game plan that enabled our ability to operate at our best. Flying alongside other folks at the top of their game ready to use their capabilities to fight our enemies and protect our allies was an awesome feeling.”

Awarded for the “most meritorious flight of the year” by an Air Force individual, group, or organization, the Mackay Trophy is one of the longest-standing aviation awards in the nation having first been given to 2nd Lt. Henry H. ‘Hap’ Arnold in 1912.

Presented by the Air Force chief of staff annually, the Mackay Trophy is remarkable in that the achievements inscribed on the base of the trophy symbolize the growth of American military aviation from its beginnings to now. The trophy is housed on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

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DAF hosts 2024 Women in Peace, Diplomacy Panel

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

More than 150 attendees gathered for the 2024 Women in Peace and Diplomacy event hosted by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs at the Pentagon, Jan. 10.

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of the Air Force Honorable Kristyn Jones, greeted international guests and other department leaders during a luncheon as part of the event.

In opening remarks, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Maj. Gen. Julian Cheater expressed gratitude to the esteemed panelists as he highlighted the important contributions of women in diplomacy and foreign policy.

“We are truly honored to have ambassadors to the United States and their representatives from several partner nations on the stage to share their regional perspectives, thoughts on gender considerations in foreign policy, and personal and professional journeys as they reached the highest levels of diplomatic leadership,” Cheater said.

During the forum, three current or former ambassadors to the United States and a British Embassy Washington senior official served as contributing panelists: Kuwaiti Ambassador Shaikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah; Netherlands Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar; Indian Deputy Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan; and United Kingdom Minister Counsellor for Foreign, Security and Development Policy Lucy Ferguson.

Al-Sabah elaborated on what it means to be the first woman in Kuwait holding the position of the highest-ranking representative to the United States.

“Everything I’ve done, every career step I’ve taken, was very much about building bridges,” Al-Sabah said. “And if that’s not diplomacy, then I do not know what is. I give credit to the leaders who identified this trait, who called me to duty again, but also want to make sure we all realize that sometimes we are faced with challenges and new opportunities that we never thought we would occupy. It is all a part of our larger configuration.”

With three decades of political affairs, human rights, and development cooperation experience, Tazelaar shared some of the important decisions she made that led her to becoming an ambassador and the people who served as her inspiration.

“What really was important for me was to have role models,” Tazelaar said. “We all know people like Eleanor Roosevelt and others right here. I had heroes in my ministry, but I also had to realize my first role model was Pippi Longstocking. From the moment I entered the ministry, the whole policy towards gender equality was really taking form, and there were a lot of things the ministry did in order to assist women to go to higher places within the ministry.”

The forum continued with Ranganathan sharing notable moments in her journey that would become pivotal for her career.

“At the Department of Commerce, I got a glimpse of life outside of the core political work that we tend to do as a career diplomat,” Ranganathan said. “That was a great experience in terms of figuring out how the rest of government works and why the work of diplomacy is important, not just for foreign policy but for domestic development as well. A second career-shaping moment came back at the capitol when I was looking after managing our relations with two of our neighboring countries. In the process of figuring out how to manage those relationships and how to make them really flourish and blossom, I blossomed as a diplomat as well.”

The 2024 Women in Peace and Diplomacy Panel helps enhance women’s voices as they discuss diplomatic efforts, perspectives, and critical responses to address the root causes of conflict.

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New IAEA Publication Available: Applicability of IAEA Safety Standards to Non-Water-Cooled Reactors and SMRs

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Over 80 new reactor designs are currently under development around the globe, some of which are expected to be deployed by 2030. The IAEA has completed a project to assess how well the existing IAEA safety standards — the cornerstone of global nuclear safety — apply to the innovative technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), which are being introduced.

More than 150 experts from thirty countries worked together to identify and document areas of novelty of these technologies when compared against the existing fleet of reactors, and assess the potential implications on the applicability of the safety standards.

The findings of this wide-ranging exercise are presented in the IAEA Safety Report No. 123 Applicability of safety standards to non-water-cooled reactors and small modular reactors, which identifies gaps and areas for additional consideration covering over 90 safety standards related to  the entire life cycle of nuclear power plants.

“The safety report is a practical starting point for understanding how the IAEA safety standards might be used for new technologies and where additional guidance may be needed to inform their application,” says Paula Calle Vives, Technical Officer of the safety report and Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety.

The applicability review covered everything from siting, design and construction to commissioning, operation, and decommissioning. It also included the application of safety standards to related nuclear fuel cycle facilities; radioactive waste management; safety assessment; emergency preparedness and response; and transport. In addition, the publication considers the interface between safety, security and safeguards in the design of those technologies.

Based on the findings of the report, further activities on the safety of evolutionary and innovative reactor designs, including SMRs, are being pursued by the IAEA. For example, the IAEA is working on a number of projects covering regulation, safety, security and safeguards by design in SMRs, and safety considerations of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors, Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors.

“Accruing knowledge and, when available, experience on the safety of advanced reactor technologies is essential to be able to fill the gaps identified in Safety Report 123 and to ensure that, in due course, the IAEA safety standards will be fully applicable to various types of innovative reactor designs,” said  Ana Gomez Cobo, Head of the Safety Assessment Section. “We are also developing training materials on SMR safety to support Member States to build technical capabilities to evaluate those new designs,” she said.

Underscoring further work in this area, Gomez Cobo said: “It is important that any claims on the high levels of safety of new reactor designs should be supported with strong scientific reasoning and evidence, this is why our work to develop new guidance, such as a new Safety Guide on Safety Demonstration of Innovative Technology in Power Reactor Designs is so important.”

The broad scope of this publication makes it valuable to regulatory bodies, technical support organizations, operating organizations of nuclear power plants, vendor companies (such as designers, engineering contractors, manufacturers) and research establishments.

The IAEA remains fully committed to enabling the effective deployment of safe and secure advanced nuclear reactors.

Following the development of the safety report, the IAEA had organized a series of webinars to provide an overview of the outcomes of the review. Videos of the webinars are accessible here.

The new safety report is available for free here.

The IAEA is organizing an SMR Conference from 21-25 October 2024 to provide an international forum to take stock of progress and discuss the opportunities, challenges and enabling conditions for the accelerated development and safe and secure deployment of SMRs among all possible SMR stakeholders and to create a wider awareness on the importance of safety, security and safeguards for technologies such as SMRs.

More information on registration and participation is available here. 

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Browning Man Admits Assaulting Neighbor With Crossbow on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of shooting and wounding his neighbor with a crossbow on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Alonzo Gene Skunkcap, 22, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Skunkcap faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 15. Skunkcap was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 1, 2023, Skunkcap was outside of his residence and a neighbor, John Doe, was in his driveway working on a vehicle. Skunkcap made a comment in which he threatened to shoot Doe’s dog. Doe responded that if Skunkcap shot his dog, he would shoot Skunkcap. Skunkcap then retrieved a crossbow from his residence and, without saying anything further, fired the crossbow at Doe, who was standing by a fence. The bolt pierced the side of Doe’s neck. After the assault, Skunkcap went back into his house and waited for law enforcement. Skunkcap told officers he shot Doe because he didn’t know how to deal with threats, was scared and that it was just his “instinct.” Doe removed the bolt himself, suffered two puncture wounds and sought medical attention. Because of the location of the wounds, Doe did not suffer serious injury or life-threatening injury.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and FBI conducted the investigation.

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Selfridge ANG Base selected as next location for KC-46A Pegasus

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, as the preferred location to host the next KC-46A Pegasus pending the outcome of a planned environmental impact analysis in 2026.

Twelve KC-46As are expected to replace the aging A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and KC-135 Stratotankers at Selfridge ANGB. The A-10s at Selfridge ANGB are expected to begin divestment in 2026, and the KC-135s there will begin divestment in 2028.

Selfridge ANGB is slated to receive 12 new KC-46s that are projected to start arriving in 2029, and will bring enhanced capabilities, such as boom and drogue refueling on the same sortie, worldwide navigations and communication, cargo capacity on the entire main deck floor, receiver air refueling, improved force protection, and multi-point air refueling capability.

Divesting the aging A-10 fleet and KC-135s and replacing them with the KC-46 ensures Selfridge ANGB has an enduring and modern mission that meets the requirements of the National Defense Strategy. Selfridge ANGB is not precluded from being considered for a fighter aircraft mission or other potential missions in the future.

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Big River — Big River RCMP seeking public assistance locating missing 38-year-old male

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On January 9, 2024, Big River RCMP received a report of a missing 38-year-old male, Mervin McAdam.

Mervin was last seen on January 9 at approximately 9:00 p.m., on the Big River First Nation. Since he was reported missing, Big River RCMP have been checking places Mervin is known to visit and following up on information received. They are now asking the members of the public to report information on Mervin’s whereabouts.

Mervin is described as 5’9″ and 115 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes. Mervin was last seen wearing a black jacket with blue jeans, blue runners, a blue sweater with black stripes and an orange Edmonton Oilers hat. We are working to obtain a photo.

If you have seen Mervin or know where he is, contact Big River RCMP at 306-469-2590. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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Liverpool — Queens District RCMP investigating fatal ATV crash

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Queens District RCMP is investigating a fatal ATV crash that occurred earlier today in Liverpool.

At approximately 1:01 p.m., Queens District RCMP, fire and EHS responded to a report of an overturned ATV in the ditch along Old Port Mouton Rd.

Upon arrival at the scene, RCMP officers learned that the driver of the ATV, a 27-year-old Liverpool man, was found deceased beside the vehicle.

A collision reconstructionist is attending the scene and the investigation is ongoing. It is expected that Old Port Mouton Rd. will be partially closed for a few hours.

Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this difficult time.

File # 2024-46654

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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty in Harvard University Bomb Extortion Case

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H., man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University. The extortionate threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled detonation of what was later determined to be a hoax device on April 13, 2023.  
 
William A. Giordani, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for April 25, 2024. Giordani was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2023 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023. 
 
In the early afternoon of April 13, 2023, Giordani placed a large tool bag, which concealed a locked safe containing fireworks and electrical wires, in the center of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, where students and others had gathered. Shortly thereafter, a caller, using a voice changing app to conceal his identity, called the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) and said that he had placed three bombs on the Harvard campus. The caller demanded an unspecified amount in Bitcoin to prevent the remote detonation of the bombs. In several ensuing calls, the caller told HUPD that he was serious about his demands and that they could find the first bomb in the Science Center Plaza.
 
HUPD discovered the device planted by Giordani, next to a bench in the center of Science Center Plaza and issued an emergency evacuation order of the area and nearby buildings. A responding bomb squad from the Cambridge Police Department assessed and disabled the device. No additional devices were found on campus that day.
 
A subsequent investigation revealed that Giordani had been recruited to join the extortion scheme via a craigslist.org advertisement. Once Giordani knew he had been recruited to assist in an extortionate bomb scheme, he had an obligation under federal law to report that scheme to law enforcement authorities. Instead, he deleted incriminating text messages, told his girlfriend not to speak to anyone about it and went on the run from police.
 
The charge of concealing a felony provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison and one year of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
 
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; Harvard University Police Chief Victor Clay; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Nashua (N.H.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

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St Raphael — JFO execute drug search in St Raphael

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

January 10, 2024, St Raphael, PE – The Prince District Joint Forces Operations executed a drug search warrant at a residence in St Raphael on January 10th. This was the second search at this residence in 3 months. Five people were arrested at the scene. Cocaine, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and weapons including replica firearms, bear spray and a crossbow were seized.

48 year-old Janice Margaret Rehberg is charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking (5(2) CDSA). Rehberg appeared in court this morning and has been remanded into custody until Monday January 15, 2024 at 1:30pm. These charges are in addition to charges linked to the previous search at this address . This investigation is ongoing.

This investigation was assisted by Prince District RCMP, Summerside Police Services, Kensington Police Services, RCMP Police Dog Service, RCMP Provincial General Investigation Section and RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime section.

If you have information about drugs in your community please contact your local police detachment or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS 8477.

Previous search https://ow.ly/yLHj50QnVSQ

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RM of Springfield — Update – Oakbank RCMP looking for witnesses in serious motor vehicle collision

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On December 4, 2023, at 6:35 am, a two-vehicle collision on Highway 1, located near the intersection of Settlers Road in the RM of Springfield, changed the life of a 54-year-old male driver who suffered significant life-altering injuries.

The victim, who has been in hospital for 38 days, was struck by a westbound vehicle, believed to be either a semi-trailer or large cube truck. The suspect vehicle failed to remain at the scene of the collision.

Oakbank RCMP continue to seek out any additional witnesses and ask that anyone who may have been driving in that area that morning, or may have been provided information in regards to this collision, to contact the Oakbank RCMP at 204-444-3391, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Oakbank RCMP continue to investigate.

On December 4, 2023, at 6:35 am, officers from Oakbank RCMP responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision that occurred in the westbound lane of Highway 1, located at the intersection of Settlers Road in the RM of Springfield.

Officers arrived on scene and located a single vehicle with extensive damage to the passenger side. The 54-year-old male driver, from the RM of Tache, suffered serious life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital.

Investigators believe that the victim’s vehicle had either entered the intersection from the south, or was westbound on Highway 1 when it lost control and spun sideways, and was subsequently struck by a westbound vehicle, believed to be a semi-trailer or very large truck.

Road conditions at the time of the collision were very icy with heavy fog in the area.

RCMP are requesting anyone who may have witnessed this collision or may have been driving in the area at the time to contact the Oakbank RCMP at 204-444-3391, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Oakbank RCMP continue to investigate.