Greenwood firm earns Army pact

R.C. Construction Co. Inc. of Greenwood, Miss., was awarded a $9,531,588 Army contract with options for expanding the tanker apron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2017. The Army Corps of Engineers at Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 07/29/16)

Lawrie takes reins of 14th OG

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Col. Stan Lawrie is the new commanding officer of the 14th Operations Group at Columbus Air Force Base. The 14th OG conducts pilot training and Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals for more than 400 AF and international officers annually using T-6A, T-38C and T-1A aircraft and simulators at CAFB. The group also directs tactical training for Afghan pilots and maintenance members at Moody AFB, Ga. The 14th OG also oversees an air traffic control complex with more than 300,000 aircraft movements a year. The command oversees eight squadrons and 1,300-plus officers, civilians, enlisted and contract personnel. Lawrie came to CAFB from duty as a Grand Strategy Seminar student at the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/16/16)

Make It In America summit

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A Mississippi State University reshoring summit on Aug. 11 aims to help businesses bring manufacturing jobs back to America. The “Make it in America” summit will be at MSU’s Franklin Furniture Institute on campus. The program is designed for manufacturers and their supply chains, economic developers and relevant university employees and faculty. (Source: Mississippi State University 07/26/16)

L-3 gets Army logistics mod pact

L-3 Communications Corp.’s System Field Support at Madison, Miss., was awarded a $216,370,058 modification to a previous contract for 12 months of continued aircraft logistics support. Work will be performed in Madison with an estimated completion of July 31, 2017. FY 2016 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $162,277,543 were obligated at the time of the award. (Source: DOD 07/25/16)

Gosney new commander at CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Colonel Douglas Gosney became the new wing commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base on July 22 during a change of command ceremony. Gosney comes to the Golden Triangle from duty as commander of the 2nd Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. In that position, he commanded AF Global Strike Command’s largest bomb group, with 27 B-52 aircraft. Outgoing wing commander, Maj. Gen. James Hecker, has a new assignment at Barksdale AFB. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/22/16) Gulf Coast Note: The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for the AF and allied officers, as well as tactical training for Afghan pilots and aircraft maintainers at Moody AFB, Ga. The wing is composed of 244 aircraft, flying 55,000 sorties and 77,000 hours per year, and training more than 400 pilots and combat system operators annually.

New Tricare contractor for MS

Humana Government Business Inc. of Louisville, Ky., has been selected to provide managed care support to the Defense Department’s newly formed Tricare East Region, which includes Mississippi. HGB will assist the Military Health System in operating an integrated health care delivery system combining its network of providers and the military’s direct medical care system resources for eligible beneficiaries. Mississippi military treatment facilities include naval branch health clinics at Construction Battalion Center Gulfport and NAS Meridian; and Columbus Air Force Base. The new East Region also includes the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. (Source: DOD 07/21/16)

AHI to feature H125 at Ga. expo

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Airbus Helicopters Inc. will exhibit the Seminole County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office H125 AStar at the 2016 Airborne Law Enforcement Association Annual Conference and Expo in Savannah, Ga., from July 18-23. The sheriff’s office operates two H125’s to conduct a wide variety of law enforcement missions, including search & rescue and aerial firefighting with a Bambi bucket. AHI produced the sheriff’s H125 at the company’s Columbus, Miss., production facility. Metro Aviation, in Shreveport, La., installed the law enforcement completion package. The H125/AS350 AStar-series helicopters are the most widely purchased by U.S. law enforcement agencies - more than 240 are in use nationwide, with 75 delivered over the past five years. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 07/18/16)

Blue Angels select 2017 team

 The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team announced July 16 its officer-selectees for the 2017 air show season. The squadron selected three F/A-18 pilots, an events coordinator, C-130 Marine pilot, flight surgeon, supply officer, and administration officer to join a previously selected executive officer for the 2017 team. The newly selected 2017 officers include pilots Lt. Brandon Hempler, 32, of Wamego, Kan.; Lt. Damon Kroes, 34, of Fremont, Calif.; and Lt. Nate Scott, 31, of Danville, Calif. The new events coordinator will be Lt. Dave Steppe, 31, of Birmingham, Ala., an Auburn University graduate. The C-130 pilot will be Marine Capt. Kyle Maschner, 33, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; flight surgeon Lt. Juan Guerra, 31, of Ocala, Fla.; supply officer Lt. Bryan Pace, 32, of Fitzwilliam, N.H.; and administration officer Lt. j.g. Timothy Hawkins, 37, of Scranton, Pa. Blues expected to return for 2017 are Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi; pilots Lt. Lance Benson, Lt. Tyler Davies, and late-season replacement Cmdr. Frank Weisser; C-130 pilots Marine Maj. Mark Hamilton, and Marine Maj. Mark Montgomery; maintenance officer Lt. Samuel Rose; and public affairs officer Lt. Joe Hontz. (Source: Blue Angels media release 7/16/16)

MS-wide biz ops with Japan

Mississippi-wide meetings – in Tupelo, Olive Branch, Jackson, and Long Beach - to discuss growing business opportunities between the state and Japan. Dates: July 25-26. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 07/16)

UAV anti-collision project

TEL AVIV – An American-Israel technology foundation selected a team from Honeywell and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop an anti-collision system aimed at allowing unmanned aerial vehicles to operate in civilian airspace. The joint development project is slated for flight testing on the IAI Heron-1 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in mid-2018, the firms announced July 11. The Honeywell-IAI Sense-and-Avoid (SAA)-equipped Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS prototype will be tested in Israeli airspace in 2018 after development work is conducted in Tel Aviv and multiple American locations. (Source: Defense News 07/11/16) Central Mississippi Note: The U.S. locations were not announced. Stark Aerospace, a subsidiary of IAI North America, is an aerospace company located in Columbus, Miss., at the GTR Global Industrial Aerospace Park. Stark produces the Hunter MQ-5B Tactical UAS used by the Army in support of operations around the globe.

1st AF North command change

The top leadership of the Continental U.S. Aerospace Defense Region’s 1st Air Force (North) held a change of command July 11 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Outgoing commander, Lt. Gen. William H. Etter relinquished command to Lt. Gen. R. Scott Williams. Williams, an F-16 Viper pilot, comes to Tyndall from duty at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait where he served as Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation. Central Mississippi Note: Williams was a student pilot and T-38 instructor in the mid-1980s at Columbus AFB, Miss. (Source: 1st Air Force 07/11/16)

Major MS airport, port & rail grants

The Mississippi Department of Transportation awarded grants to regional and municipal airports, ports, public transit systems and railroads throughout central and north Mississippi. Grants were approved for the following regional and municipal airports: $201,429 for Corinth-Alcorn County Airport; $151,650 for George M. Bryan Field in Starkville; $272,303 for Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus; $34,670 for Tupelo Regional Airport. Grants for North Mississippi ports: $140,000 for Lowndes County Port in Columbus; $90,050 for Port of Aberdeen; $400,000 for Port of Amory; $490,050 for Port Itawamba in Fulton. Railroad grants: $438,244 for Mississippi Delta Railroad of Clarksdale; $391,545 for Mississippian Railway Inc. of Fulton. (Source: WTVA 07/07/16)

Ex-NASM pilot may rejoin Blues

The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team may be bringing back a 2009 opposing solo pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Frank Weisser, to fly that position – and return to its traditional six-jet performances again before the end of the current air show season. Weisser may be joining the Blues next week. He is tentatively scheduled to begin flying sorties with the team following the Seattle, Wash., air show in early August. The Blue Angels are expected to be ready for the return of its six-jet shows by the Sept. 3-5 Cleveland (Ohio) National Airshow. Weisser is tentatively coming back to fill a void of the team following the death of opposing solo pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, who was killed during a June 2 training flight in Tennessee. Weisser, an Atlanta native, is a 2000 Naval Academy graduate. He went through aviation indoctrination an primary aviation training at NAS Pensacola – home of the Blue Angels. He completed intermediate and advanced flight training at NAS Meridian, Miss., and earned his Wings of Gold in November 2002. Operationally, Weisser deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and flew 34 combat missions from aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. The naval aviation joined the Blues in September 2007. He served as the narrator and VIP Pilot in 2008, and opposing solo and NATOPS officer in 2009. (Source: IN Weekly blog 07/07/16)

Boyles new lead of MNG

JACKSON, Miss. - Maj. Gen. Augustus L. Collins, adjutant general of Mississippi, has announced his retirement from the Mississippi National Guard (MNG), effective Aug. 31. Brig. Gen. Janson D. Boyles will take charge Sept. 1. In 2005, Boyles, a native of Jackson, Miss., served as Executive Officer for the 168th Engineer Group of the MGN during Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. In 2009, he was in Afghanistan with the 168th Engineer Brigade of the MNG. Most recently, he served in Kosovo as Chief of Staff of the KFOR Forces, a NATO Division deployed as part of Operation Joint Guardian. Boyles is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. In 2005 he received his Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. (Source: WCBI 07/05/16)

Camgian awarded $7.7M Army pact

Camgian Microsystems Corp. of Starkville, Miss., was awarded a $7,737,765 Army contract for a Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict radar demonstration, integration, and advancement project. Work will be performed in Starkville, with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2018. (Source: DOD 07/05/16)

Forest firm earns $28.2M mod pact

Raytheon Co. of Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $28,291,573 modification to a previously awarded contract for hardware kits in support of the Phalanx Close-In-Weapon-System program. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (50 percent); Dallas, Texas (28); El Segundo, Calif. (13), and Andover, Mass. (9). It is expected to be completed by February 2018. The Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (DOD 07/01/16)

Hainsey join aerospace group

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed Mike Hainsey, executive director of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, to the board of directors for the Aerospace Alliance, a multi-state group designed to establish the region as an aerospace and aviation corridor. The Alliance’s four member – Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana – share the goal of promoting the region’s common assets in the aerospace industry to take advantage of opportunities to grow the sector across the region. Hainsey will join with business and economic development professionals to represent Mississippi. (Source: WTVA 06/30/16)