Rosa takes command of CTW-5

Navy Capt. Doug Rosa took command of Commodore Training Air Wing (CTW) Five following a change of command ceremony in mid-March at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla. CTW-5 is the Navy’s largest primary aviation training wing. Marine Corps Col. Dave Morris relinquished command after 18 months after receiving orders to the Pentagon to serve on the Joint Staff and on the immediate staff of the Secretary of Defense. Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) was guest speaker for the ceremony and presented Morris with the Legion of Merit. Capt. Rosa was serving as deputy commodore of CTW until the change of command. (Source: NAS Whiting Field 03/30/19) CTW-6 provides primary aviation training for Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and international student-pilots, some of which are selected for advanced pilot training at NAS Meridian, Miss.

RAF aids PTN 2.0 pilot training

AUSTIN, Texas – After a May 2018 visit here to the Air Force’s Pilot Training Next facility and facing a similar pilot shortage as the AF, the UK’s Royal Air Force is taking innovation forward with the inclusion of a student and an instructor pilot in the second iteration of PTN. PTN 2.0 is a continuation of the AF’s experimental training that is designed to integrate various technologies to produce aviators in an accelerated, cost efficient, and learning-focused manner. The RAF needs to reduce pilot training time and increase its numbers, according to British Army Col. Paddy Logan, assistant director for flight training. The RAF chief of aviation staff has given “us the go–ahead to push the envelope and innovate our pilot-training pipeline,” he said. “We don’t have the capacity to experiment … so having this (USAF) partnership … is invaluable.” The RAF is transitioning from the A-29 Super Tucano to the T-6 Texan II as its primary trainer aircraft, and its goal is to incorporate PTN lessons- learned into their undergraduate pilot training by this coming fall. For the PTN 2.0 team, the inclusion of the RAF duo has opened the eyes on learning that both air forces face similar challenges in terms of production and retention. “This strengthens the partnership with one of our closest allies by continuing to share best practices, and tackling difficult problems together,” Lt. Col. Paul Vicars, PTN director, said. (Air Education and Training Command 03/29/19) While the training is designed to teach students how to fly, priming them for transition training at flying training units, like Columbus (Miss.) AFB’s 14th Operations Group that is responsible for the 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) mission, was a major consideration for PTN officials for this second class.

Judge OKs incorporation of new city

The Clarion Ledger newspaper reported that the community of Gluckstadt has received a judge's permission to incorporate. Chancery Court Judge James C. Walker gave permission for the Gulckstadt community to incorporate on March 28, and set boundaries for the new Madison County city, according to the Clarion Ledger. The decision caps more than a 10-year effort by residents to incorporate. The judge also ruled that the City of Canton could annex two of the five areas it was seeking, both north of its city limits, and also approved all areas south proposed by Gluckstadt Incorporators and the South Madison County Fire Protection District. It was a sound ruling, and the judge provided a solid basis for his rulings, according to attorney John Scanlon who represented the incorporators. If there is no appeal, the Secretary of State's office will issue a charter with the names of Gluckstadt's city leaders, including its prospective mayor, Walter Morrison. (Source: The AP & Clarion Ledger.)

Vertex $19M mod pact for TH-57

Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $19,963,187 modification (P00038) to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, labor-hour indefinite delivery requirements contract (N00019-13-D-0007). The modification increases the ceiling and extends the period of performance of the contract to provide additional TH-57 (helicopters') logistics support services and materials for organizational and depot level maintenance in support of the TH-57 fleet. Work will be performed at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in May 2019. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/29/19)

 

Sailors should take housing surveys

WASHINGTON - All sailors living in government or Private Partner Venture (PPV) housing are being encouraged to participate in surveys to share their overall experiences about current living conditions. The PPV survey, which will be available April 2-30, will give sailors an opportunity to note likes and dislikes with PPV housing and any health or safety concerns in their homes, community, and services provided by privatized housing management companies. Surveys will also be conducted from April 2-June 30 for sailors living in unaccompanied housing, as well as those living in government owned or government leased housing. This survey runs through June 6. “The Navy is committed to ensuring that our sailors and their families have a quality, healthy and safe place to live,” said Vice Adm. Mary Jackson, Commander of Navy Installations Command. The three surveys are from CEL & Associates, an independent third party conducting and managing the surveys. (Source: CNIC 03/29/19)

CAFB airman earns heroics award

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Senior Airman Dylan Fivecoate, an air traffic controller assigned to the 14th Operations Support Squadron at Columbus AFB, was announced as the Air, Education and Training Command’s winner of the 2019 Air Force Sergeants Association Pitsenbarger Award. The award is presented annually to an AF enlisted member who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, which resulted in the saving of life or the prevention of serious injury. “It’s a great honor to even be nominated for the award,” Fivecoate said. Fivecoate’s heroic efforts were vital in saving the lives of two civilians involved in separate vehicle accidents while responding as a volunteer firefighter. (Source: CAFB 03/29/19)

MSU’s 29th International Fiesta

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University’s 29th annual International Fiesta, sponsored by the Starkville World Neighbors Association and the school’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, is set for April 6 on Drill Field. MSU’s Assistant VP for multi-cultural affairs, Ra’Sheda Forbes, looks forward to the kid-friendly fiesta because it “provides an opportunity to further knowledge and cultural capital in such a fun and exciting way … (and) is a great opportunity to bring communities together to foster pride in the varying cultures and heritage” among students and surrounding cities. (Source: MSU 03/29/19)

Mississippi contractor workshop

JACKSON, Miss. - Contractors interested in becoming licensed or obtaining a Certificate of Responsibility are encouraged to register for the Mississippi Development Authority’s Contractor Licensure Readiness Workshop on April 18. The workshop will be from 8 a.m.–11:30 a.m. at the Associated Builders and Contractors building in Pearl, Miss. The workshop will focus on contract reading and comprehension, on-the-job safety, and will position participants to secure government contracts. The workshop also will provide participants with information regarding upcoming workshops. (Source: MDA 03/28/19)

CAFB pilot part of air & space show

A pilot with the Navy F-18 Super Hornet Legacy Demo Team, an enlisted crew chief with the new F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, and an aviator from Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base will all take part in the Melbourne Air & Space Show in Florida this weekend, March 30-31. All three are south Florida natives. The event will be the North American debut of the F-35 demo team. Inspired by the 9/11 terror attacks, Navy Lt. Dominic “Iceman” Garcia enlisted in the military at 18, just before graduating from Melbourne High School. This weekend he’s pumped to return to the Space Coast to fly an F-18 Super Hornet as one of the headline acts. Eight years ago Paul Ogletree of Merritt Island was working at T.J. Maxx. He’s now the lead dedicated crew chief of the F-35 demo team. AF 2nd Lt. Nicolas “Nico” Del Pozo, a Viera High School graduate, will fly a T-6 Texan II trainer in from CAFB to Melbourne to join the static display of aircraft at the air and space show. His father, Raymond, a retired AF pilot who lives in Suntree, Fla., told Florida Today: "He’s got four sisters and six nephews and nieces, so we’re all going to be out there” to support him. (Source: Florida Today 03/11/19 – 03/28/19)

Blue Angels' to name 2020 CO

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, will announce its new commanding officer for the 2020-21 air show seasons at the Blue Angels Atrium at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola on April 2. A selection panel of nine admirals, and former commanding officers, will select the individual to succeed current Blue Angels Commanding Officer and Flight Leader, Capt. Eric Doyle. (Source: Blue Angels 03/28/19)

W/out more $, Tyndall work stops

Without additional congressional funding to repair hurricane-damaged Tyndall AFB in Florida, and flooded Offutt (Neb.) AFB, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson says it will be forced to stop all rebuilding work on Tyndall starting May 1. Without more rebuilding funds, the AF plans to cut 18,000 flight training hours Sept. 1. It has already deferred 61 initial projects across the service – including airfield and flight line repairs at Columbus Air Force Base and an entry gate road at Keesler AFB both in Mississippi - in order to reallocate funds for repairs, Wilson said in a March 26 speech at the Heritage Foundation. Without funds materializing by May or June, Wilson said additional decisions would have to be made. The 61 projects are across 18 states. AF officials estimate they’ll need $1.2B in FY 2019; and $3.7B spread over FYs-20/21 to make repairs at Tyndall and Offutt. Without the additional fund, adjustments will have to be made, some of which pose a risk to readiness recovery, the service said in a news release. (Source: Military.com 03/27/19)

Meridian Aviation pact: $18M

Meridian Airport Authority, doing business as Meridian Aviation of Meridian, Miss., has been awarded a maximum $18,062,977 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a 46-month contract with one six-month option period. Location of performance is Mississippi with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is FY 2019-23 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy of Fort Belvoir, Va. (Source: DoD 03/27/19)

MS plant's APG-79 pact: $57.9M

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems of El Segundo, Calif., is awarded a $57,980,007 long-term requirements contract for repair of 25 weapon repairable assemblies for the APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar system used on the F/A-18 aircraft. The contract includes a three-year base period with two one-year options, which, if exercised, would bring the total value of the contract to an estimated $98,637,530 based on estimated quantities. Work will be performed at Raytheon's Forest, Miss., facility. Work is expected to be completed by March 2022; if all options are exercised, work will be completed by March 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Navy working capital funds will be obligated as individual orders are issued. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-sourced, non-competitive requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304(C)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command's Weapon Systems Support of Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: 03/27/19) In 2018, Raytheon investing $100M in a 50,000 square foot Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) certified radar production facility in East Mississippi. The facility is the newest addition to Raytheon's existing Consolidated Manufacturing Center campus in Forest, which will continue uninterrupted delivery on critical commitments across the airborne radar and electronic warfare markets.

GA-Miss. to expand 11th time

JACKSON, Miss. – General Atomics’ Electromagnetic Systems advanced defense manufacturing operations in Shannon will increase capacity to accommodate a new product line. The project is a $50M corporate investment that will create 75 jobs over five years. The expansion was announced during the 2019 International Homeland Defense and Security Summit. GA’s expansion, the 11th in 14 years at Shannon, enables the firm to increase some of its defense manufacturing operations. This project will add a new 100,000 square-foot facility to GA’s existing 552,000-square-feet of production space at the Tupelo Lee Industrial Park South. GA workers will work in state-of-the-art advanced CNC machining and electronic assembly centers to manufacture components, products and systems that meet exact specifications and conform to quality and compliance standards. (The CNC machining manufacturing process - pre-programmed computer software that dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery can be used to control a range of complex machinery.) “We are a proud member of the community and look forward to expanding operations to provide game-changing technologies that will support our war-fighters well into the future,” said Scott Forney, president of GAES. Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building renovations and workforce training. Lee County is providing property tax exemptions. Based in San Diego, the GAES Division is a Navy contractor. Since locating in Mississippi in 2005, the company has invested some $100M and created more than 300 jobs at its Shannon location. (Source: MDA media release 03/26/19) GA Notes: Alabama's fast-growing aerospace industry received another boost March 27 when GE Aviation announced it will invest $50M in an expansion of its Auburn facility. GE Aviation's Auburn facility is the aerospace industry's first site to mass produce a jet engine component – a fuel nozzle tip for a jet engine - using 3-D printing technologies. With the expansion, the plant will begin producing a second part, a 3-D printed bracket for another engine program.

Blue Angels return to Pensacola

Local and spring break crowds packed Pensacola Beach, Fla., on the afternoon of March 25 to welcome home the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration team – The Blue Angels – return to their show-season home after several months of winter training in El Centro, Calif., and early March air shows on the West Coast. Blue Angels flans also lined downtown Pensacola and Perdido Key to watch the six F/A-18 Hornets fly in formation overhead on their way back to Naval Air Station Pensacola. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 03/25/19)

Powerlifters compete at nationals

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Powerlifting competition is an individual sport that’s performed in single repetition over numerous sets of the squats, bench presses, and dead-lifts. The winner has the highest combined weight in their category. A Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base duo – 2nd Lt. Brett Albertson and Staff Sgt. Thomas Buena - had been training for the 2019 USA Powerlifting Military Nationals in Texas. The nationals took place March 16. With more than 75 competitors, Buena finished runner up in his category, tying the winner with a combined weight of 1,593 pounds, but lost the tiebreaker. Albertson was on track to place first in class, however none of his squats counted. He was disappointed, but had a great learning experience. It was both men’s first competition. Buena serves as the 14th Contracting Squadron’s NCO in charge of Base Operating, Support and Services. Albertson is the 14th Civil Engineer Squadron’s chief of project management. Both athletes will continue their fitness journeys. Albertson wants to continue powerlifting-style training in addition to intense cardio workouts. Buena said his goal is to work towards a lower weight class and keep the same strength in each of the three major lifts. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 03/22/19)

Eaton seeks material controller

Eaton’s Aerospace Division is currently seeking a Material Controller to join its team at its Jackson, Miss., facility. This is a first shift position. (Source: Recruit Net 03/26/19) Eaton is a global innovator in aerospace. Eaton designs, manufactures and integrates the industry’s most advanced products and technologies for: Engine Solutions, Fuel and Inerting Systems, Hydraulic Systems, and Motion Control.

Good conduct gold for all sailors

The Navy is about to end the tradition of requiring sailors to have 12 years of good conduct to rate gold stripes, according to a Navy message March 25 signed by the Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke. On June 1, sailors with less-than-perfect records will no longer be required to wear red service stripes and rating badges on uniforms instead of gold ones for the Good Conduct Medal, the Navy-wide administrative message (075/19) stated. Senior-enlisted feedback prompted the Uniform Matters Office to look at revising the rules for gold rating badges and service stripes, said Lt. j.g. Stuart Phillips, a spokesman for Burke's office. Fleet feedback indicated the desire for there to be a single criterion that encompasses the achieved milestone of all enlisted sailors with 12 years of service, he continued. In 2017, Chief Musician Jessica Privler called for a change to the policy. Sailors who receive non-judicial punishment can lose pay, rank or face other punishment, she wrote in the U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine. "Ultimately, we must ask ourselves what the goal of this regulation is and what it achieves," Privler wrote. "If the answer is public shaming, then the Navy is successful. ... By leaving this tradition behind, we would allow sailors to move on from their past mistakes." In June, all sailors with 12 years of active or drilling Reserve time in the Navy, Marine Corps or Navy and Marine Corps Reserves will qualify for gold stripes and badges. (Source: Military.com 03/25/19)

Surface Navy researching aircraft PEs

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The surface Navy is developing a solution for detecting symptoms associated with rapid pressure fluctuations in military aircraft, a phenomenon associated with physiological events (PEs) in E/A-18G, T-45C trainers, and F/A-18 weapon systems. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City’s (NSWCPC) Fluctuating Altitude Simulation Technology (FAST) team delivered an aircraft cabin simulator system to the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) for their use conducting human subject research. NSWCPC engineers designed and fabricated the FAST system to replicate the rapid cockpit pressure fluctuations observed in the Navy’s jet aircraft. The FAST system characterizes symptoms associated with rapid pressure fluctuation, and determines what symptoms may most closely be associated with PEs. The information will allow us to conduct future research targeted and focused on specific symptoms and adding in cockpit factors, according to Navy Research Psychologist, Lt. Jenna Jewell. Aircrews experience PEs when there is a suspected aircraft or aircrew systems’ malfunction, and a loss in performance related to insufficient oxygen, alterations in breathing, unexpected pressure or other human factors. Environmentally-controlled research “flights” were conducted at NEDU to simulate rapid cabin pressure fluctuations, which allowed medical researchers to investigate whether there are physiological or neuro-cognitive impacts due solely to the pressure fluctuations. “This study is the first-of-its-kind human subject research investigating PEs plaguing Naval Aviators by replicating the cabin pressure fluctuations observed in the Fleet. It is also the first-ever study to investigate and identify the physiological responses and symptomology associated with rapid cabin pressure fluctuations at altitude,” said NEDU Research Physiologist, Lt. Travis Doggett. (Source: Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City 03/25/19) Cmdr. Brad Hickey and the NEDU Aviation Physiological Events team presented their research into aviation PEs at the 2019 U.S. Naval Aeromedical Conference in Pensacola, Fla.

From ‘Top Gun’ to Hurlburt AFSOC

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Watching the movie ‘Top Gun’ as a child – and hearing the words from it, “I feel the need, the need for speed!” - made it clear to AF Capt. Holly Mapel she wanted to fly when she grew up. It didn’t hurt that she already had a familiarity with the military growing up as an “Air Force brat.” She’s wanted to join the Air Force “for as long as I can remember,” said Mapel, a combat systems officer and operational flight test director with the 18th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) at Hurlburt Field. She joined six months out of high school and began a career as an enlisted aircrew flight equipment technician and spent seven years maintaining flight equipment used by Air Force Special Operations Command aircrews. Later, she arrived at Hurlburt Field, where she applied for Officer Training School. After commissioning, she became a combat systems officer (CSO) with a specialization as an electronic warfare officer on the MC-130H Combat Talon II. “I still wanted more” and requested a change to the MC-130J Commando II. The Commando II is flown in covert refueling missions for helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft. In 2018, Mapel certified as an operational flight test director and came to the 18th FLTS. She now leads a team for planning, execution and reporting phases of tests. They test new/updated equipment on AFSOC aircraft and weapons systems. Mapel enjoys her current duties because it allows her to fulfill her to fly. “Whether I am performing crew duties as a CSO on an MC-130J or executing a test on another AFSOC platform, I get to do what I love.” (Source: 1st Special Operations Wing 03/25/19)

Incredible women of NASM

Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., is one of two bases in the country that trains Naval Strike Fighter Pilots, and they’re one of the few to be completely land-locked. Many women serve at various capacities. In honor of Women’s History month, WGBC-TV has conducted a two part series highlighting some of the incredible women of NASM.

AF introduces I2S to improve bases

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Force announced its new Infrastructure Investment Strategy (I2S) following a year-long review that is designed to bring new analytical tools and focus to enhance readiness at worldwide bases based on mission needs. The strategy shift changes the “worst is first” approach to facilities prioritization. Instead, the AF will demolish the oldest 5 percent of its buildings and maintain infrastructure before it becomes expensive. “We’ll get more out of every dollar … and, over time, we will improve the quality of life of our Airmen and their families,” Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said. From hangars and runways to operations centers and ranges, the I2S will require bases to have master plans and prioritized projects based on mission. The new strategy calls for the AF to fund 2 percent of replacement value of its buildings per year. Advanced modeling and simulation done in support of the strategy will result in significant improvements in facilities’ conditions over 20 years. “Infrastructure resilience is critical to our ability to fight, but the mission succeeds or fails at the squadron level,” said Brig. Gen. John Allen, AF director of civil engineers, and will be focused on supporting civil engineer airmen to sustain the strategy. The AF requested $2B in additional spending for IS2 in its proposed FY 2020 budget request. Congress will consider the AF’s FY-20 budget request, and how that process unfolds will dictate actual spending. (Source: Secretary of the Air Force 03/22/19)

Vertex wins seat at CMMARS’ table

MADISON, Miss. - Vertex Aerospace of Madison has been selected as a qualifying bidder and awarded a contract (#N61340-19-D-0010) for the Naval Air Systems Command's Contracted Maintenance, Modification, Aircrew and Related Services (CMMARS) program. This award will allow Vertex to compete for some $12.6B in future Defense Department aviation logistics opportunities over the next five years. Awardees of the CMMARS contract will provide contractor logistics and maintenance services for DoD rotary and fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aircraft vehicles, and various weapon systems in support of continuous, worldwide operations for DoD and U.S. government agencies. The majority of CMMARS contract services will be performed afloat and ashore within the U.S. and will be administered by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems in Orlando, Fla. Vertex Aerospace is a global aerospace company that provides rotary and fixed wing aircraft maintenance and logistical solutions for government and private sector customers. The Mississippi-based company has more than 4,200 employees at its 65 U.S. and 35 international locations, (PR Newswire 03/21/19)

Raspet’s UAS Delta region initiation

STARVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University is again using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) expertise and resources to benefit the Magnolia State. Its Raspet Flight Research Laboratory recently launched its Delta Region Initiative in Greenwood; and is partnering with eight Mississippi Delta counties - Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, Grenada, Leflore, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Washington - to determine areas where UAS can support fire and disaster response, and other uses like monitoring dams and levees. MSU has certified authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that allows the university to fly UAS over the 5,000-square-mile Delta region, which includes a part of Arkansas, allowing monitoring on both sides of the Mississippi River. UAS flight crews have been in Greenwood regularly in recent months at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport, which was hosting training and acceptance flights for Raspet center’s new TigerShark XP3 unmanned aircraft. In February, UAS flight crews surveyed flooding in the Greenwood area. “Our goal is to provide imagery in real time, so flooding can be predicted and reported to tell you where the water is going, where you need to evacuate and what roads need to be shut down,” said Raspet Flight Research Lab Director Dallas Brooks. Since 2015, the Raspet has received or is programmed for up to $44M in federal research and testing contracts. The center conducts research to support the Defense Department, FAA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). MSU is the lead university for the FAA Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Resrch Excellence (ASSURE)’ and leads the DHS Common UAS Test Site. MSU also works with Mississippi economic development officials to support the state’s growing aerospace industry. (Source: MSU 03/20/19)

‘Rosie’ recounts WWII services

WASHINGTON - Mae Krier went to Capitol Hill hoping to get Congress to recognize March 21 as an annual ‘Rosie the Riveter Day of Remembrance’. Rosie the Riveter was an iconic WWII poster showing a female riveter flexing her muscle. Krier is also advocating for lawmakers to award all “Rosies” - women involved in the war effort at home – with Congressional Gold Medals for their work in the defense industry producing tanks, planes, ships and other materiel for the war effort. During a visit to the Pentagon on March 20, Krier told airmen that her life-long mission is to inspire the poster’s “We Can Do It!” attitude among girls. The 93-year-old walked around the Pentagon’s Air Force corridors, giving away red polka-dotted Rosie the Riverter bandannas. Krier grew up in North Dakota during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s. After the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, young men everywhere began streaming from home to the war. The war “took the heart out of our small town” and all across America, she said. But in 1943, she set off for Seattle and would up as a riveter at an aircraft factory working on B-17 and B-29 bombers. “We loved our work. We loved our flag. We all pulled together to win the war,” she said. “It was a good time in America.” (Source: Defense.gov 03/21/19) The Real Rosie: Naomi Parker Fraley, the woman believed to be the "real" Rosie the Riveter, died in 2018 at age 96, and was not recognized as the inspiration for the famous WWII-era poster until 2015. During WWII, Fraley was a factory worker at Alameda (Calif.) Naval Station. She was one of millions of women across America who filled the labor force during the war. A press photographer took a picture of her. Over 60 years later, Fraley attended a convention for Rosie the Riveters and saw a photograph displayed indicating it was the likely inspiration behind the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter in the "We can do it" poster. Fraley recognized the picture as the one the photographer captured of her. But the photo was credited as being of another woman: Geraldine Hoff Doyle. Seton Hall University Professor James J. Kimble has studied the origins of Rosie the Riveter image for years. In 2015, he announced that the original photograph with a caption that named the woman as Naomi Parker. Oddly enough, Rosie the Riveter has emerged as a cultural icon, gaining greater significance over the years and evolving far beyond her original purpose as a recruitment aid to attract temporary female workers during wartime. (Source: CNN 01/23/18)

Ala. CCs join aero tech consortium

The Alabama Community College System and Huntsville’s Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation’s University Consortium (VCSI-UC) college system are partnering to expand students’ access to aerospace, manufacturing, and defense industry training that could lead to an engineering technology degree. VCSI-UC has agreements with four-year institutions in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Alabama’s community college (ACC) system is the first to participate. Students could also study automotive manufacturing, maritime, digital transformation and engineering technology; plus receive training in 3-D technology, augmented reality, and virtual reality programs. The latest partnering is designed to elevate workforce development in Alabama. (Source: AL.com 03/19/19)

FSU, Eglin AFRL scholars partner

The Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering and researchers and engineers from Eglin Air Force Base have begun a new partnership to train graduate and undergraduate students in areas critical to the Air Force. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Eglin will fund a $400,000 grant to create the Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars program at the College of Engineering. The summer STEM-related intern program will bring students into the laboratory environment where they can directly benefit from working with faculty researchers on Air Force-related research. (Source: Florida State University 03/19/19) At Eglin, the AFRL Scholars Program offers summer on-site internship opportunities in research-based projects for high school and university students, as well as professional educators. The program includes researching the technologies and gaining a hands-on learning experience under the mentorship of AFRL scientists and engineers. The Eglin scholars program in Valparaiso, Fla., offers various programs, which include the Hap Arnold Scholars for internship positions to graduate students interested in various STEM fields that include Bioscience, Fuze technology, Materials Science, and Munitions Aerodynamics.

Great Red Spot storms of Jupiter

Mississippi State University’s Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Donna Pierce, has inked a professional and informative article about Jupiter’s atmosphere, the Great Red Spot storms and its counter-rotating bands, which are known to lay people as the Rings of Jupiter. The Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth and that has continued for some 300 years, is one of the most recognizable features in Jupiter’s atmosphere and the entire solar system. NASA’s Juno spacecraft, currently orbiting Jupiter, is gathering data on the cloud bands around the planet and the Great Red Spot. New data will likely provide insights into many of the features, and unknowns, in Jupiter’s atmosphere. An analysis of historical and recently obtained data on the Great Red Spot has shown that it is shrinking and becoming both rounder and taller, and its color has also varied over time. What is driving these changes, and what do they mean for the future of the Great Red Spot? Researchers aren’t sure. However, NASA’s Juno spacecraft is gathering more data that may provide insights into many of the features of Jupiter’s atmosphere. (Source: The Conversation 03/19/19) Dr. Pierce has been at MSU since 2007. She earned her doctorate in astronomy from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s in physics from the University of Kentucky.

Stark aero to join EMCC job fair

East Mississippi Community College’s annual job fair returns to its Mayhew, Miss., Golden Triangle campus April 2. Dozens of potential employers, including Stark Aerospace, Mississippi State University and Yokohama Tire plus others, will interview job seekers and accept applications during the East Mississippi Job Fair. It is open to the public, and free of charge, to EMCC students and area residents. The event provides opportunity to network with business and industry leaders, find out about current and future career opportunities, and what kind of academic, technical and career skills that employers are seeking. Some employers will fill immediate openings while others will recruit for future jobs. “This is an excellent opportunity high school students seeking for their first job, those looking to change careers and people who would like to see what opportunities are available,” EMCC Associate Dean of Instruction, Dr. Michael Busby said. (Source: EMCC 03/2019)

MSU grad to lead Tougaloo College

TOUGALOO, Miss. – Tougaloo College in central Mississippi has selected Carmen Walters to be the historically black institution’s next president. For the past six years, she worked as executive VP of enrollment management, student success, and institutional relations at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss., about 30 miles north of Gulfport. Prior to that, Walters worked for 18 years at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. She holds a doctorate in community college leadership from Mississippi State University, a master's degree from Xavier University in New Orleans, and a bachelor's degree from Southern University in New Orleans. Current Tougaloo President Beverly Wade Hogan retires June 30. Tougaloo College is marking its 150th anniversary this year. (Source: The AP 03/18/19)

Ex-325th FW boss to SACE

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced March 15 that the president had nominated Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters for appointment to the grade of general while serving as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. NATO also has agreed to appoint Gen. Wolters as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACE). Gen. Wolters is currently serving as commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe; commander, U.S. Air Forces Africa; commander, Allied Air Command; and director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre. In addition to the NATO position, Gen. Wolters will be assigned as commander, U.S. European Command. (Source: DoD 03/15/19) Gulf Coast Note: Wolters served as commander of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Fla., from June 2006 to March 2008. Earlier in his career, Wolters was a student at the F-15 Replacement Training Unit at Tyndall, from December 1986 to April 1987. The 325th FW’s primary mission – that includes 30 tenant groups - is to provide air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel, and air battle managers; F-22 intelligence officer training, crew chief training, and enlisted air traffic control training. Wing personnel manage the southeastern air combat maneuvering instrumentation range and provide mission-ready F-22s in support of the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and 1st Air Force (1 AF) contingency plans.

MSU shark team party at DISL

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. – The Dauphin Island Sea Lab welcomed to new additions to Alabama's Coastal Aquarium, the Estuarium, on March 16. Two nurse sharks joined the aquarium’s residents to give visitors an up-close look at the life found throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Nurse sharks are sometimes called the “couch potatoes of the sea” and can be found around the world, according to a DISL media notice. The name comes from the “unusual sucking sound” it makes while hunting that “resembles the suckling of a nursing baby." The welcome to the Estuarium party included a shark research team from Mississippi State University and the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. (Source: WPMI 03/16/19) MASGC provides integrated university- and college-based research, communications, education, extension and legal programs to coastal communities that lead to the responsible use of ocean and coastal resources in Alabama and Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico, through informed personal, policy and management decisions.

Happy Hawai’i; Happy GC biz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hawaii’s residents reported the highest well-being among the 50 U.S. states in 2018, reaching the top spot for the seventh time since Gallup began tracking well-being in 2008. Hawaii and Colorado have ranked among the Top 10 states in well-being for 11 straight years, the only two to do so. West Virginia reported the lowest for the 10th straight year. State-level data are based on more than 115,000 surveys with U.S. adults across all 50 states throughout 2018; and Well-Being Index calculated in five essential elements of well-being: Career; Social; Financial; Community and Physical. Each of the five elements was calculated on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being. Adding up scores in each of the five categories gives each state a well-being score and state ranking. Among the four Gulf Coast states’ rankings, Florida was 20th among all 50 states; Louisiana 43; Alabama 44; Mississippi 47. (Source: Gallup Poll 03/13/19) Gulf Coast Notes: While Hawaii residents are in a state of happiest, businesses there aren’t quite as euphoric. It’s a high-middle-of-the-road state (#36) when it comes to business, according to a Wallet Hub 2018 study. Three of the four Gulf Coast states ranked better than Hawaii among all states: Florida #6; Louisiana #18; and Mississippi #21. Alabama ranked #41. Texas was #1.

Golden’s $18M uniform contract

Golden Manufacturing Inc. of Golden, Miss., has been awarded a maximum $18,234,851 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Army Combat Uniform coats and the Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with nine responses received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Mississippi, with a Sept. 14, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is FY 2019 through FY-21 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency’s Troop Support of Philadelphia, Penn. (Source: DoD 03/15/19) Golden is about 45 miles northeast of Tupelo.

IFF converts pilot to combat culture

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Before pilots step into a fighter aircraft, they must go through Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals – no IFFs ands or butts. IFF is an eight-week course designed to transform newly graduated pilots selected to fly fighters into wingmen. Columbus AFB is one of three Air Education and Training Command bases that train students to become fighter wingmen. The others are Randolph and Sheppard AFB in Texas. CAFB’s 49th Fighter Training Squadron teaches pilots the discipline, attitude and culture of combat aviation. “It’s their first glimpse of the fighter culture,” said Maj. Michael Overstreet, 49th FTS assistant director of operations. Before a pilot enters IFF, they must earn their wings by graduating from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT). In transitioning to more complex fighters, such as the first-generation F22 Raptors or F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, IFF builds upon the training learned in SUPT, which focused on basic tactical aviation in the T-38C Talon. “We try to help shallow the learning curve from pilot training to that B-course or formal training,” said Capt. Cole Stegeman, 49th FTS chief of scheduling. “That’s why we use this program as a means of that indoctrination of fighter culture and what it means to be a fighter pilot.”(Source: Columbus AFB 03/14/19)

Aviation tech firm buys NWF airport

Skyborne Technology Inc., a developer, designer and manufacturer of manned and unmanned aviation systems, has expanded its footprint in Northwest Florida (NWF) by purchasing Costin Airport in Port St. Joe, Fla., for an undisclosed sum. Last fall, Skyborne, HQ’d in Australia, established its first American-based facility in Gulf County. Costin Airport will be used by Skyborne for flight operations, manufacturing, and training pilots in unmanned systems. Skyborne has also found a partner in Unmanned Systems Inc. of Henderson, Nev., a manufacturer of unmanned systems and drones, which will be moving a portion of its manufacturing and training to NWF. The two will also help further development of regional educational needs by teaming with Gulf District Schools to establish a high school program for certification in operation of unmanned systems; and Gulf Coast State College to focus on training in advanced aviation systems. One of its major applications is used for agricultural assessment, and the technology used in assessing power grids and a host of monitoring applications. Skyborne’s facility at Dalkeith Industrial Park in Wewahitchka, which the company opened in September, already has a handful of employees building drones. Skyborne is also working on creating unmanned aerial systems that identify and kill bad drones. (Source: Apalachicola Times 03/14/19) Gulf County is located in the western sector of north Florida. Port St. Joe is the county seat, and the county is included in the Panama City metropolitan statistical area.

‘Deploy or get out’: 21K gone

WASHINGTON – About 21,000 non-deployable military personnel have been forced out of the services since the Defense Department’s “deploy or get out” policy began in the summer of 2018, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a March 14 FY 2020 budget request hearing. “A key element of strengthening our military … is ensuring our war-fighters achieve established physical, mental and security vetting standards,” he said. “War is unforgiving, and our mission demands (that) we remain a standards-based organization.” Pentagon officials estimated last summer that about 11 percent of active-duty troops (235,000) were rated non-deployable. Almost half had missing medical exam paperwork, troops nearing retirement, and women who were pregnant. The rest (126,000) faced a range of short- and long-term injuries or failed military fitness standards. Military officials said those individuals would be given up to 12 months to prove deployability or pushed out. Pregnant, recently pregnant, and combat-wounded troops are exempt from the standards. DoD set a not-more-than-5 percent goal for each service to be classified non-deployable. Within a few months, the percentage of non-deployable troops had dropped to around 5.4 percent, he said. “(W)e are making meaningful progress.” (Source: (Military Times 03/14/19)

1st Block 30 gunship for Hurlburt

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - The 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field in Florida is now home to Air Force Special Operations Command’s newest aircraft: The Block 30 AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. Similar to the Block 20s flown by the 73rd SOS at Hurlburt, the new upgrades mark a major improvement in software and avionics technology. “The Block 30 AC-130J is now our most lethal aircraft in AFSOC's inventory,” said Maj. Brandon Hughes, HQ’s AC-130J requirements chief. The 4th SOS gunship is equipped with a precision strike package, electro-optical/infrared sensors, advanced fire control equipment, precision-guided munitions delivery, a trainable 30mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II and 105 mm M102 howitzer weapons. The 4th SOS currently operates the AC-130U Spooky, and continues to hold the title as the most deployed squadron in the Air Force since 9/11. The Block 30 will cost about one-third as much to operate per flying hour due to upgraded turboprop engines. Ghostrider reached initial operational capability in 2017, and the first Block 30 AC-130J will remain in a testing status for about 12 months before it is operationally deployable. The 4th SOS will continue to operate its Spooky until it joins AC-130H Spectres in retirement by the end of 2020. (Source: AF Special Operations Command 03/13/19)

CAFB to add PTN to UPT training

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Beginning May 31, Air Force flying training wings across the Air Education and Training Command will formally begin integrating innovations from ‘Pilot Training Next’ into the undergraduate pilot training (UPT) curriculum, according to 19th AF officials at the PTN Technology Expo here March 12-13. The idea is to blend training approaches and content into syllabi for specific T-1 Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II, and T-38C Talon aircraft flights at UPT wings to accelerate student learning and build better aviators. “Introducing the technology into our normal pilot production flight rooms is the next natural step to scaling these concepts across the flying training enterprise,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Doherty, 19th AF commander. For Col. Samantha Weeks, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., pushing the envelope of technology integration into learning is a natural progression in the future of pilot training. Using technology to “break long-held, industrial-age training paradigms” will allow the AF to “fly higher, further and faster,” she said. “The Air Force is giving us free reign to innovate without a great deal of constraint,” she said. In doing so, it enables CAFB to graduate better and more lethal and ready AF pilots to accomplish the mission. (Source: Air Education and Training Command 03/14/19)

McLean to oversee LM-Meridian

Lockheed FORT WORTH, Texas - Lockheed Martin promoted Roderick McLean to the post of VP/GM for its Air Mobility and Maritime Missions (AM&MM) organization in Marietta, Ga. He succeeds George Shultz, who is retiring. Previously, McLean served as Lockheed’s VP/GM for its Integrated Fighter Group organization. Bridget Lauderdale will succeed McLean. Both promotions are effective April 15. As leader of the AM&MM organization, McLean will be responsible for the C-130, LM-100J, C-5 and P-3 programs. In addition to leading the Marietta facility, he will oversee sub-assembly sites in Meridian, Miss., and Clarksburg, W.Va. (Source: Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal 03/14/19)

Hurlburt light-attack detachment

WASHINGTON - The Air Force will procure a handful of A-29 Super Tucano and AT-6 Wolverines aircraft - likely two or three of each – but the exact number would depend on the cost of the planes, Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein told lawmakers March 13 at a a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. The purchases provide a small but needed show of confidence for the plane-makers Sierra Nevada and Textron that have made internal funding investments toward the AF’s light-attack experiment in hopes of future big buys. The AF plans to put mini-detachments of AT-6 and A-29 turboprops at Hurlburt Field, Fla. – home of the AF Special Operations Command HQ and at Nellis (Nev.) AFB. AF spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Defense News that the service would likely buy two or three of each aircraft, but Goldfein told lawmakers that the exact numbers would depend on the costs of the planes. The Marines have “already said they’re joining us,” Goldfein told Defense News. Funding is to come from previous years’ budgets. Most of the light-attack experiment is centered on turboprops, but the AF is also interested in expanding that to include drones and rotorcraft. FY-20’s budget request calls for $35M to continue the experiment. (Source: Defense News 03/13/19)

Prez asks for 148 new Navy aircraft

President Trump released his FY 2020 Defense budget March 11, which includes several Naval Aviation readiness and aircraft purchases, as part of $718B in requested funding. The requests include for the Navy to spend $18.6B to buy 148 aircraft, including but not limited to, 20 Navy F-35Cs; 10 Marine F-35Bs, a 10-plane decrease; 24 F/A-18E-F Super Hornets; six CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters for the Marines; 10 CMV-22B Ospreys to replace the Navy’s C-2A Greyhounds; 32 Advanced Helicopter Training Systems; two MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft, a decrease of one from FY-19’s plan; and three MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aircraft for the Marines to begin training its unmanned aerial systems operators to work with large Group 4/5 UAVs. The Navy’s spending plan shows further decreases to aircraft procurement in the out years. The F-35B program for the Marines was also cut by five in 2021, three in 2022, and one in 2023. The Navy’s Super Hornet program is kept steady with last year’s plans in 2020 and 2020, but cut by nine in 2022 and five in 2023. The Navy’s F-35C procurement totals remain steady with last year’s plan from 2020-23, but eight aircraft are shifted from 2021 to later years. Air operations funding would increase 4.2 percent or about 25,000 flight hours, Secretary of the Navy for Budget Rear Adm. Randy Crites told reporters, in a nod to having more ready aircraft available for pilot training and operations. The Navy is also requesting to spend $23.8B on shipbuilding and conversion, including $22.2B to buy 12 ships. Under this proposal, the Navy request includes, but is not limited to, the lead ship for the guided-missile frigate (FFG(X)) program (Est. cost $1.28B); and two T-ATS towing, rescue and salvage ships that was contracted recently to Gulf Island Shipyards of Louisiana. (Source: USNI News 03/11/19) More funds for pilot training would be good news for NAS Meridian, Miss.; NAS/JRB Belle Chasse, La.; and Naval Air Stations Pensacola and Whiting Field in Florida.

Prez proposes 3.1% military raise

WASHINGTON – Members of the armed forces would see a 3.1 percent pay raise in January 2020, and add about 30,000 more ACDU/reserve personnel to the rolls, under President Trump’s FY 2020 DoD budget proposal. For junior enlisted troops, a 3.1 percent pay raise would amount to about $815 more annually. For O-4s with 12-years service, it’s more than $2,800 extra. Trump told Military Times that the 3.1 percent would be the “largest increase in a decade." Pentagon records indicate personnel got a 3.9 percent in 2009, and 3.4 percent in 2010. The size of each year’s raise is linked to private sector wages, as measured by the Employment Cost Index. The proposed $750B defense budget is dependent upon congressional support for $164B in overseas contingency operations (OCO). The Obama administration requested $167B at the height of the surge in Afghanistan, and $194B in 2008. That request, however, is likely to be challenged by House Democrats who object to increased military funding while domestic (non-defense) programs face a 5% cut. (Source: Military Times 03/11/19) Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought defended the OCO numbers telling reporters that the administration sees OCO as a legitimate vehicle to fund national defense priorities. Congress in past budgets have agreed to add more for defense only if it matched increases to non-defense (domestic) programs. Trump wants to “break that paradigm,” Vought told Space News.

Entergy Mississippi adds 3 execs

Entergy Mississippi has added three new members to its executive team: Anesa Davis, manager of human resources-business partners; David Gibbs, director of finance; and Hisham Sidani, VP of power plant operations. Two of the three have earned or earning degrees from Mississippi universities. Since 2017, Davis has served as an organizational effectiveness consultant for Entergy’s nuclear business. She is pursuing a doctorate in human capital development from the University Southern Mississippi. Gibbs joined Entergy in 1999, and served as a senior manager with Entergy’s Wholesale Commodities finance-business partners. He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in professional accountancy from Mississippi State University. Sidani oversees all aspects of operations for Entergy Mississippi’s fleet of power generating plants. He has served as senior engineer and process superintendent at the Michoud Plant in New Orleans, Little Gypsy Plant in LaPlace, and the Nelson Plant in Lake Charles, al in Louisiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the American University of Beirut and master’s degree – both in mechanical engineering - from Louisiana State University. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal Entergy Mississippi serves about 449,000 customers in 45 of Mississippi's 82 counties. 03/11/19)

Stigma of drones lifting GTRA

The Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Miss., took on the stigma of unmanned aerial systems (drones) more than 10 years ago, Executive Director Mike Hainsey told the Starkville Rotary Club on March 11. GTRA was the first commercial airport in the U.S. to obtain FAA authorization to fly drones. But the regional drone experts are at the Mississippi State University-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), which is the lead agency for the Center of Excellence for the FAA. Twenty-four universities across the nation are part of the ASSURE agency. But in the early days of drones, there was an angst created in the aviation markets. When kids started getting millions of drones for Christmas, it freaked the industry out, Hainsey said. The initial fear, he said, was diminished when drones proved to be a useful resource. Drone technology is “so simple yet we can pop (it) up there for an emergency” and when the batteries run low, it returns itself to the site of its launch, and batteries can be swapped out, he continued. GTRA started using drones to assess roof replacements for its buildings, and later produced marketing videos, including one for Delta Airlines for training purposes. Delta will be adding a fourth flight from Columbus to Atlanta in June. The GTRA has twice the number of international travelers than other airports of the same size, and Hainsey said MSU and other industries are the reason. Flights are full especially during busy months of April, May, October and November. GTRA have practiced using the drones with staged situations such as active shooters, emergency responses, and spills, says the retired Air Force pilot and former Deputy Wing Commander at Columbus AFB. He was named GTRA director in 2008. Since then, he has overseen and participated in two expansions of the terminal building. (Source: Starkville Daily News 03/12/19)

MSU grad: Loyola biz dean

NEW OLEANS - The Joseph A. Butt, S.J., College of Business at Loyola University New Orleans named Michael L. Capella as its new dean beginning June 1. Capella comes to Loyola from Villanova University’s business school in Philadelphia. He most recently served at Villanova as the associate dean of graduate and executive programs, and professor of marketing. Capella earned his doctorate at Mississippi State University. (Source: The AP 03/11/19)

South MS coastal ‘Secret’ unveiled

GULFPORT, Miss. - Hundreds of people gathered at Jones Park on March 11 to hear the announcement of the new tourism slogan for South Mississippi that was a year in the making. “Coastal Mississippi: The Secret Coast” is the new phrase and it rolls out across the Gulf South tomorrow morning, March 12. “It’s time that we accept that not too many people know about us,” Milton Segarra, executive director of what was Visit MS Gulf Coast, and now will do business as Coastal Mississippi, told the Sun Herald. “Why not maximize that?” Advertisements will show people enjoying the non-crowded beaches and bayous, and casinos. Tourism has ticked up 1 to 2 percent over the last several years. But Segarra said the goal now is to reach double-digit growth in three years. As part of the nearly $1M campaign, 40 billboards across Louisiana, north Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle will target markets within a five-hour drive. Other advertising will be directed around air packages with Delta and American and airline hubs such as Atlanta and Charlotte that have easy flights to the coast. Coastal Mississippi doesn’t tell travelers to “visit”, “meet” or “discover” like many destinations, he said. Instead the new slogan rolls like waves from the Gulf of Mexico, offering images of sand, boating and, of course, seafood. (Source: Sun Herald 03/11/19)

Fast tracking Tenant Bill of Rights

WASHINGTON – The Defense Department’s four military services are preparing a joint Tenant Bill of Rights for military housing to ensure safe, quality homes and communities, and clear rights while living in them. It is intended to increase the accountability of privatized housing companies by putting more oversight in the hands of local military leaders. The three service secretaries have seen first-hand and reviewed problems in housing units. The Tenant Bill of Rights is intended to help remedy issues by protecting and empowering service members and their families. The Tenant Bill of Rights will be enforced through renegotiated leases with the privatized housing companies, and will be implemented in the coming weeks. (Source: US Navy 03/08/19) Gulf Coast Note: Military housing in Mississippi includes NAS Meridian, Keesler AFB and Columbus AFB. Louisiana: NAS/JRB New Orleans and Barksdale AFB in Bossier City. Alabama is home to Maxwell-Gunter AFB near Montgomery. Florida is home to Eglin and Tyndall AFBs, Hurlburt Field, NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field in the Panhandle, and MacDill and Patrick AFB in the southern part of the state.

CAFB shows innovative technology

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Several active duty staff members from Columbus Air Force Base’s 14th Flying Training Wing showcased new innovative technology to high school students at Mississippi State University’s Engineering Day on March 4. The wing uses the new technology for pilot training. MSU invited several organizations to partner with its Bagley College of Engineering and provide students with a hands-on interactive atmosphere. CAFB connected with more 350 students from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas at the space-themed event geared toward helping high school students to start planning for their futures. (Source: CAFB 03/08/19)

Astro scholar among 'New Faces'

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Over four years at Mississippi State University, senior civil engineering major Phong Ly of Brandon, Miss., has attained numerous awards, honors and recognition. The newest award is being named to the New Faces of Civil Engineering for 2019 by the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is one of 10 U.S. college students selected. New Faces highlights a select group of civil engineering leaders and recognizes their academic or professional accomplishments, and community involvement. Among his other accomplishments, Ly was one of seven engineering students to be elected to the 2019 class of MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering Student Hall of Fame; and one of 50 nationwide students to earn a merit-based scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 2018. Ly has been involved in Mississippi State’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders and worked with the university’s Watersheds and Water Quality Research Lab and the Sustainable Bioproducts Department. The environmental engineering concentration major also interned with Gulf Power Company in NW Florida to monitor water quality and biological conditions near coal-fired and natural gas power plants. (Source: Mississippi State 03/08/19)

AF Secretary Wilson to resign

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson confirmed May 8 that she had informed President Trump she will resign after the University of Texas System announced she was a sole finalist to become president of its El Paso campus. Wilson submitted a resignation letter and released a statement in which she said it was a privilege to serve alongside U.S. airmen over the two previous years and that she is “proud of the progress we have made to restore our nation’s defense," according to the Washington Post. Wilson, a former Republican congresswoman from New Mexico, said in the letter that she expects the Texas board to take a final vote on her candidacy in 21 days, as Texas state law requires. She plans to remain as Air Force secretary until May 31. (Source: Washington Post 03/08/19)

Excellent AFMC airmen from GC

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- The Air Force Materiel Command honored in top airmen for 2018 at its annual Excellence Awards banquet here on March 6. Nominees in nine separate categories - airman, non-commissioned officer, senior NCO, first sergeant, company grade officer, field grade officer, civilian category I, civilian category II, and civilian category III competed from throughout AFMC's headquarters, centers, and wings. Among the category winners from Gulf Coast (GC) commands are: * Non-Commissioned Officer Category – Tech. Sgt. Alexander J. Rodriguez of the Air Force Test Center at Eglin AFB, Fla. Rodriguez supervised a mobile training team, certifying 24 rescue techs and saving $180,000 dollars in travel costs. As the instructor for a piloted training program, Rodriguez instructed 29 sessions and boosted the quarterly completion rate from 87 to 98 percent. He also orchestrated a local community outreach day, while graduating from the Naval War College’s NCO course. * First Sergeant Category – Senior Master Sgt. Zachary C. Pate of the Air Force Test Center at Eglin. As First Sergeant, Pate supported 397 members, while overseeing the health and readiness of the largest squadron in the wing. His team upheld the AF’s largest fighter test fleet at 98 percent availability. He oversaw the bed down and welfare of 222 members contributing to a 99 percent effectiveness rate during exercise North Lightening, the squadron’s largest deployment. * Civilian Category II – Marshall G. Dutton of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Dutton distinguished himself as AF EOI Modernization Program Manager where he managed a $300M five-year budget program supporting 225 robots and cutting repair time from months to days. Dutton was also the linchpin for an historic $10M five-year Explosive Ordinance Division 10-bomb suit contract providing critical life-safety gear to the war-fighter. Winners in the four enlisted categories will represent AFMC in the U.S. Air Force’s Outstanding Airmen of the Year and First Sergeant of the Year competitions to be held later this year. (Source: Air Force Materiel Command 03/08/19)

Oxford firm award: $22.8M

Carothers Construction Inc. of Oxford, Miss., was awarded a $22,821,540 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction and standard-design of general-purpose storage building with loading dock. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 7, 2020. FY 2015 and FY-19 military construction funds in the amount of $22,821,540 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/08/19)

USM grad Bayer resigns as ASN

WASHINGTON - Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) for Energy, Installations & Environment (EI&E), Phyllis L. Bayer, has submitted her resignation and retire from government and pursue other opportunities. The Navy applauded her service and is grateful for her extraordinary efforts this past year. While Navy leadership has been recently evaluating options with this portfolio due to competing priorities, the Secretary of the Navy remains fully committed to the role and responsibilities. DoN has begun an active search for qualified candidates to become the next ASN EI&E. (Source: US Navy 03/08/19) Gulf Coast Note: Bayer is a 1986 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology. She also holds a Master of Science Degree in Geology from USM.

Oldest house rep, WWII pilot dead

AUSTIN, Texas - Former Texas congressman Ralph Hall, the oldest-ever member of the U.S. House and a WWII Hellcat pilot, has died at age 95 at his home in Rockwall on May 7, according to Ed Valentine, Hall's longtime strategist. Hall was 91 when he left the House after being defeated in a 2014 Republican primary runoff election. An avid jogger, Hall marked Memorial Day 2012 – at age 89 - by skydiving to honor American service members. That Christmas, he became the oldest member of Congress' lower chamber, breaking the record set by North Carolina Rep. Charles Manly Stedman, who died in office when he was 89 years, 7 months and 25 days old. Ralph Moody Hall was born on May 3, 1923, in the Dallas suburb of Fate. He attended Texas Christian University and the University of Texas before earning a law degree at Southern Methodist University in 1951. Hall joined the Navy at 19. He married Mary Ellen Murphy in November 1944, while serving in pilot training at (NAS) Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Associated Press 03/07/19)

Gulfport sailors earn USFF honors

NORFOLK, Va. - U.S. Fleet Forces Command announced its 2018 USFF Fleet Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year (SSoY) during a breakfast here March 7. Builder 1st Class Luke G. Johnson of the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 was named Sea Sailor of the Year. Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Steffi M. Gutierrezlara of Naval Surface Squadron 14 was Shore Sailor of the Year. “What an honorable experience this has been,” said Johnson. “To my fellow finalists, we have forged such amazing relationships, and to my sailors - I want to say thank you - as you are the reason for my success. They are amazing and their success makes me so proud.” During the ceremony, all 12 SOY finalists were recognized for their work and awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Among Gulf Coast-based finalists for Sea SoY was BU1 Luke G. Johnson of NMCB 1 in Gulfport. Shore SSoY finalist included Aerographer’s Mate 1st Class Leigh A. Windham of the Gulfport-based Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Professional Development Center. (Source: US Fleet Forces Command 03/07/19)

Sen.: Mil-housing contractor 'fraud’

In a congressional hearing centered on contractor-run military family housing and families’ living conditions, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) suggested "there are clear indications of fraud” in the program, according to an ABC News report. Blumenthal described the situation as criminal May 7 during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing where military leaders testified about substandard housing. He has asked military leadership to bypass their internal audits and go straight to the Department of Justice about why contractors were allegedly not maintaining government housing while receiving funds for maintenance and rent. “They are landlords. They may be slumlords. They’ve counted on this … risk-free cash cow.” Military leaders agreed. “I think we should pursue any fraud and hold people accountable,” said Army Secretary Mark Esper. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told the committee “once Navy audit has the data then DOJ would be involved." All four military services are preparing a joint Tenant Bill of Rights. (Source: ABC News 03/07/19)

Boeing advances aviation training

WASHINGTON – The Boeing Company awarded a $3M grant to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on March 7 to accelerate pilot training and aviation maintenance programs. Boeing's investment will create a permanent endowment to fund annual scholarships for flight training, maintenance training, and certification costs related to the pilot training and aviation maintenance programs. Scholarship dollars will be made available to all students – with a focus on increasing numbers for women, military veterans, and minority students enrolled in both programs. According to Boeing's 2018 Pilot & Technician Outlook, the industry will need 790,000 new civilian pilots and 754,000 new maintenance technicians to fly and maintain the world fleet over the next two decades. The forecast is inclusive of the commercial aviation, business aviation and civil helicopter industries. The investment builds on Boeing's support of STEM programs, women, military veterans, and minorities. In 2018 alone, Boeing contributed $284M to build better communities worldwide. Embry-Riddle is the world's largest and most comprehensive aviation and aerospace university. It has residential campuses at Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz. Embry-Riddle engages in extensive research and consulting that address the unique needs of aviation, aerospace, and related industries. Embry-Riddle also provides instruction through both online and face-to-face methods via a network of education facilities designed to support student advancement. All academic programs are approved for veterans' educational benefits and are accompanied by personalized academic advisement. (Source: Boeing 03/07/19) Gulf Coast Note: There are Embry-Riddle education facilities across the Gulf Coast at NAS/JRB Belle Chasse, La.; Keesler AFB, Miss.; Coast Guard ATC Mobile and Fort Rucker in Alabama; NAS Pensacola, Eglin AFB, Tyndall AFB, and Duke and Hurlburt Fields.

Cadets get upclose look at aviation

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – About 200 Navy ROTC cadets from Texas A&M University got a firsthand look at Navy aircraft March 5 during a static display event here at Easterwood Airport. Navy aircraft from Florida, Texas, and Washington states flew in for the event, which gave students a chance to talk to pilots about career opportunities. Executive Officer of the NROTC unit, Cmdr. Robert McGill a native of Natchitoches, La., said the event was a great way to showcase naval aviation and help solidify students’ career decisions. Students interacted with pilots from various aircraft platforms from T-45 Goshawks and T-6B Texas IIs to EA-18G Growlers. Throughout the day, each student had the opportunity to see every stage every stage of becoming a naval aviator, from student-instructor pilots all the way through pilots assigned to active fleet squadrons. Aircraft came from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, NAS Jacksonville, Fla., and NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. (Source: CNATRA 03/08/19)

AHI: P&W engine for Navy helo

ATLANTA - Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., announced March 6 that it has selected the Pratt & Whitney PW206B3 engine to power its H135 IFR-certified helicopter that AHI is proposing for the Navy helicopter trainer replacement. AHI officials made the announcement at the 2019 Heli-Expo industry trade show in Atlanta. (Source: Aviation Pros 03/06/19)

Tulane NROTC plan Mardi Gras drill

NEW ORLEANS - Future military officers – making up 26 teams from 19 universities across the country - came here to Tulane University on March 1 to participate in the 46th annual Mardi Gras Drill Meet. It is one of the largest Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit-hosted meets in the U.S. Tulane’s NROTC unit hosted the meet that spanned units from all branches of the military services. The No. 1 focus of the drill for Tulane was to “provide leadership development training to our midshipmen,” said unit Commanding Officer Capt. Daniel Senesky. For six months, Tulane midshipmen “planned and organized everything from security to facilities, with minimal input from the overseeing leadership of the unit,” he said. Leadership evaluated events are exclusive to the Tulane’s NROTC unit and intended as additional training to aspiring Naval and Marine Corps officers. For those participating in the competition segment, Texas A&M University finished first overall followed by Norwich University, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. (Source: Naval Service Training Command 03/01/19) Mississippi Note: ROTC units in the state of Mississippi include Mississippi College (Air Force/Army), Mississippi State University (Air Force/Army), University of Mississippi (Air Force/Army/Navy), and William Carey College (Air Force/Army).

La. recruit collapses, dies at GL

A 20-year-old Navy recruit from Monroe, La., collapsed and later died one week before she was scheduled to graduate from boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill. Seaman Recruit Kierra Evans, a 2017 graduate from Neville High School in north Louisiana, was taking part in the Navy's Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) at the Recruit Training Command on Feb. 22 when she collapsed. Evans, who was on course to graduate March 1, died several hours later at the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. Her death has only now been disclosed by officials, reports Military.com. The Navy and RTC are investigating. The cause of the 20-year-old’s death is unclear. A spokesperson from the Lake County Coroner’s Office told Navy Times that autopsy results won’t be available for as long as three months. According to her obituary, Evans had graduated from Neville High in May 18, 2017, and was an a member of the school’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for four years before joining the Navy on Jan. 2, 2019. Evans is the second person to die at Great Lakes since October 2018, according to Military.com. (Source: Newsweek 03/05/19)

DoD rethinking aviation mishaps

The Defense Department (DoD) is considering revisions to the dollar and damage levels that qualify an aircraft accident as a major mishap. Major aviation accidents are currently classified as Class A, B and C. Class A: More than $2M in damage, aircraft destroyed, or whether a pilot or crewman killed or totally disabled. Class B: Damage ranging from $500K to $2M, a crew member facing permanent partial disability, or three or more persons sent to the hospital. Class C: Damage is between $50K and $500K or an injury results in loss of time from duty. One of the main drivers of the proposed changes appear to be the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and similar future aircraft. When all F-35s are delivered, DoD will have nearly 2,500. The current cost of each F-35 ranges from about $90M to $115M (Marines’ F-35B). The F-35’s advanced coatings and sensors make small incidents, like towing accidents, rise to a Class A quickly. In April, Military Times reported that across the services, aviation mishaps had spiked by about 40 percent since FY 2013. Dan Grazier, a military fellow with the Project on Government Oversight, said any new classification system would need to ensure that older aircraft don’t get lost in the shuffle. “There are obviously issues with those mishaps that go beyond just the financial,” he told Military Times, and misidentifying small symptoms that could potentially turn into systemic problems. DoD confirmed in a memo in July 2018 that it’s looking at revising those categories as part of a larger effort to address military readiness and safety. The services were tasked with standing up four task forces: Leading Indicator, Lessons Learned, Mishap Classification, and Safety Data Reform to better reflect the expense of repairing advanced jets. But such changes could lead to less visibility into the actual state of aviation safety, government watchdogs cautioned. (Source: Military Times 03/03/19)

MSU-MNG sign new tuition program

The Mississippi National Guard and Mississippi State University (MSU) have announced a new program to ensure free tuition for Mississippi National Guard service members enrolled full-time at MSU. College President Mark E. Keenum and Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, adjutant general of Mississippi, signed an agreement establishing the ‘Bulldog Free Tuition’ program. The program builds on current NG education benefits at state-wide colleges, but to create a unique opportunity for eligible Mississippi Army and Air National Guard members. The “innovative tuition program” launched March 4 “continues MSU’s “pro-soldier legacy and directly invests in those brave, bright men and women who serve and protect our great nation,” said Keenum. There are more than 12,000 service members are in the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard’s ranks. The college’s added support through this program makes MSU the only state university where MNG soldiers can attend college with no out-of-pocket cost for tuition. Some 650 veterans and service members attend MSU. The school is nationally recognized for its support of veterans, service members, and dependents. In 2015, MSU was designated as a “Purple Heart University” by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for its support of the military community. (Source: Citizen Soldier 03/04/19)

EPA Region 4 & 6 Superfund report

ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing Superfund’s annual report covering major accomplishments and environmental progress throughout FY 2018. The Superfund program is a top priority for EPA and is making strides to accelerate sites through remediation and back to productive use. In the report, communities across the country are benefitting from these efforts. “We are proud to report that in Fiscal Year 2018 EPA deleted all or part of 22 sites from the National Priorities List (NPL), the largest number of deletions in one year since 2005,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a media release, and revitalizing communities across the country. EPA is “proud of the progress we have made in cleaning up Superfund sites across the Southeast” in Regions 4 and 6, said EPA Acting Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. Region 4 includes the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. Region 6 includes Louisiana. Region 4 is stepping up efforts to return sites to productive use and deleting sites from the NPL: Davis Timber Co. of Hattiesburg, Miss. In Region 6, the Bayou Bonfouca site in Slidell, La., formerly contaminated with waste from a wood-treating plant, is now a hub for civic activity with municipal services departments, Heritage Park, a public boat launch, and a state-of-the-art marina. Region 4 milestones include identifying sites for expedited cleanup: Mississippi Phosphates Corp. of Pascagoula, Miss. New FY-18 NPL sites: American Creosote (DeRidder, La.) and Rockwell International Wheel & Trim (Grenada, Miss.). (Source: EPA 03/04/19)

AHI-Columbus job fair March 5

Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., will be looking to employ some 40 workers over the next several months. On March 5, the company will be hosting an on-site job application fair from 3-6 p.m. in Cafeteria C of the Airbus plant at 1782 Airport Road. Airbus is an international company with about 25,000 employees worldwide, including four locations in the U.S. The Columbus plant opened in 2006 and has about 200 employees who manufacture two to three UH-72A Lakota helicopters a month for the Army. AHI-Columbus also manufactures about 80 H125 helicopters annually. The company is largely looking for experienced candidates to fill those positions, which include aircraft technicians with at least two years experience, inspectors with at least four years experience, and engineers with six-to-9 years’ experience. Applicants need to bring an electronic resume for the event. (Source: Event Brite 03/02/19)

CG foundation tribute March 15

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit group designed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and families, will hold its 26th annual ‘Tribute to the Eighth Coast Guard District’ on March 15 at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The foundation will recognize CG Station Panama City for its regional response to Hurricane Michael. CGS Panama City is a unit operating under the Eighth Coast Guard District’s headquarters in New Orleans. The event will feature an address by the Coast Guard’s Vice Commandant, Adm. Charles Ray. In the aftermath of Michael, the foundation assisted 90 Coast Guard families in the Panama City area with $245,500 of support to help them recover and to rebuild their own homes and personal spaces. (Source: Work Boat 02/28/19)

AETC awards for Keesler airmen

Three Airmen from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., were recognized during the Air Education and Training Command’s 2018 Outstanding Airmen of the Year ceremony in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26. Senior Airman Gary G. Jeffrey III of the 81st Medical Support Squadron was named Airman of the Year. Winning in the Civilian Supervisory Category I was Jason G. Medenwaldt of the 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron; and in the Non-Supervisory Civilian Category I, Brian Louis of the 81st Comptroller Squadron was the winner. (Source: Air Education and Training Command 02/27/19)

Airmen trek GC for fallen comrades

BILOXI, Miss. - Airmen from a special tactics unit in San Antonio, Texas, are making an 830-mile trek across the Gulf Coast (GC) to Hurlburt Field in West Florida to pay tribute to the late Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin – one of 20 special tactics personnel killed in action since 9/11. The group crossed the halfway mark March 1 in Biloxi, Miss. The special march has happened five times. The late Staff Sgt. Elchin was a combat controller deployed to Afghanistan. The march means “a whole lot to us both personally and as an enterprise,” Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Guilmain told WLOX-TV. Elchin was killed in November 2018 when the vehicle he was in hit an improvised explosive device. The march is full of symbolism. The airmen carry wooden totems with the names of special tactics airmen killed in action. In a way, those who were lost are also making the trek. Another symbolic tie can be found in the journey’s start and end points. Special tactics training begins at Lacklin AFB, Texas, and ultimately graduates from the special tactics training squadron in Hurlburt Field. Two of the 20 special tactics members, from Gulf Coast states, to die in action since 9/11 include Senior Airman Mark Forester of Tuscaloosa, Ala., a Special Tactics Combat Controller, died Sept. 29, 2010; and Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley of Pensacola, Fla., a Special Tactics Combat Controller died Aug. 26, 2015. (Source: WLOX Biloxi 03/01/19)

Bill to close airport biz exemptions

The Mississippi Legislature, which has passed a bill that would close tax exemptions loopholes for industries located at state-based airports, is heading to Gov. Phil Bryant's desk after passing both chambers. Senate Bill 2802, which passed unanimously in the Senate - and 113-4 in the House - amends a law that the Mississippi Supreme Court said last fall allows for exemptions for any businesses located on airport property. The bill is due to arrive on the governor’s desk March 6. The measure is particularly important for Lowndes County, where several major industries are located on the Golden Triangle Regional Airport's property. The exemption has cost the Lowndes about $160,000 in tax revenue this fiscal year, according to County Tax Assessor Greg Andrews, and the county school district $800,000. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 03/01/19)

First new helo simulators in 40 years

The Navy's Commander Training Air Wing Five (CTW-5) at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., has accepted its first new TH-57 flight simulator in about 40 years. The simulator, the first of 10 to be delivered over the next year, is already being used for helicopter training operations. The similar is a significant technology advancement and upgrade to naval aviator training, according to Cmdr. Aaron Beattie, CTW-5 rotary simulator integration lead officer. “It improves our ability to train student aviators in night-vision environments and the simulator displays are a vast improvement over the 1980s technology our current simulators afford,” he said. CTW-5 has trained all Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard helicopter pilots at NASWF for the past 30 years, using the instrument-rated TH-57 Sea Rangers since 1981. CTW-5 are to receive three Level 6 and seven Level 7 simulators. This first simulator was a Level 6 trainer. Two additional simulators are scheduled for delivery in March. Level 7 devices will be delivered between May 2019 and February 2020. (Source: Rotor Wing International 02/28/19) As the Navy takes delivery of these new simulators, which is a part of a bigger goal of modernizing the entire helicopter ground training system, the Navy is simultaneously working to retire its fleet of TH-57s by 2023, according to a final Request For Proposal announcement. Proposals are likely to come from three companies that are publicly competing for the work: Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., with its H135 light twin; Leonardo with its TH119 single-engine trainer, and Bell Helicopters’ 407GXi. Bell manufactured the TH-57.

NSWCPC joins innovation lab journey

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC) has begun a journey to establish a Center For Innovation to foster a culture of creativity that will give staff an outlet to learn techniques and understand war-fighters’ needs in a designed solution safe zone, according to Unmanned and Surface Combatants Science and Technology Mine Warfare director Holly Gardner. CFI will be a collection of spaces and capabilities to foster innovation at all levels, and give employees an outlet where they can brainstorm, network and work through problems before putting that innovation into practice at the fleet level, according to Sheila Schnoering, NSWCPC engineer for mine warfare prototyping. Reaping beneficial knowledge, even through failures, stimulates alternative routes to success and a “plethora of creative ideas” that lead to light bulb moments, says Technical Product Manager Rick Hurst. Two buildings are being configured to support the innovation lab concept. Throughout FY 2019, efforts will be dedicated to defining its business model, continued input from users, conveyance of capabilities with respective training arenas, and the completion of spaces. NSWCPC conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and in-service support in Mine Warfare, Naval Special Warfare, Diving and Life Support, and Amphibious and Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare Systems and other missions in the Littoral Battlespace. (Source: NSWCPC 02/28/19) Columbus AFB, Miss., was among the first in the Air Force to begin creative hubs. CAFB began its ‘Spark Cell’ creative hub last November to find solutions from 3D printing to flying patters for its T-6 Texan II. Today, CAFB has shared information on set-ups and collaborated with officials at Keesler AFB, Miss., and Tinker AFB, Okla.

YN1 earns NASM memorial CoY

Yeoman 1st Class Jennifer Purcell was selected for the AC2 Whitney Powell Memorial Military Citizen of the Year (CoY) award at Naval Air Station, Meridian, Miss. The award is given to an enlisted member at NASM annually for volunteer service within the community. Purcell volunteers at Till Newell’s Animal Hospital, Coyote Equine Hills Rescue, and Habitat for Humanity. “For this community to be successful and for (NASM) to be successful, we have to rely on each other,” said base commander Capt. Brian Horstman. It has given YN1 Purcell a sense of being a part of something bigger than herself. The award is named for Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Whitney Powell who died in a car accident in 2013. She was active in the Meridian community such as Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency and Wesley House Women’s Shelter, and Calvary Chapel. (Source: WGBC-TV 02/28/19)

La. firm earns $25M AFA pact

Rowe Contracting Service of Mandeville, La., has been awarded a $25,000,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for academic and athletic custodial services. This contract provides for custodial services for the academic and athletic facilities at the U.S. Air Force Academy (AFA). Work will be performed at the Academy in Colorado, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 29, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 27 offers received. FY 2019 AF operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,667,389 are being obligated at the time of award. The 10th Contracting Squadron of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/01/19) Mandeville is about 20 miles WNW of Slidell, La.

Keesler AFB electrical contract

City Light & Power (CLP) of Greenwood Village, Colo., has been awarded an estimated $126,616,791 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the electric distribution system at Keesler AFB, Miss. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 50-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Biloxi, Miss., with an Aug. 31, 2069, performance completion date. The type of appropriation is FY 2019 through FY 2069 Air Force operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy of Fort Belvoir, Va. (Source: DoD 03/01/19)